Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Holdings Lifted by Osterweis Capital Management Inc.

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 84,782 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,872 shares during the quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Novartis were worth $8,250,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NVS. Human Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at about $51,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. StockNews.com raised shares of Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $123.38.

Novartis Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NVS stock traded up $0.98 on Tuesday, hitting $111.52. The stock had a trading volume of 727,113 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,552,919. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $94.72 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $227.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. The stock's 50 day moving average is $109.29 and its 200-day moving average is $106.19.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a net margin of 23.56% and a return on equity of 37.24%. As a group, research analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $3.8695 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.69%.

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.