IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Reaches New 52-Week High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• IQVIA shares reached a new 52-week high of $271.80, supported by strong recent momentum; the stock’s 50-day and 200-day moving averages were $232.02 and $193.57, respectively.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.62, although one research firm downgraded the stock to “Hold.” Several firms recently raised their targets, including Baird at $287.
• IQVIA exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.15 EPS versus $3.03 expected and $4.37 billion in revenue, up 8.7% year over year. However, insiders sold roughly $3.8 million of shares during the last quarter, while institutional investors own 89.62% of the stock.

Shares of IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $271.80 and last traded at $260.6220, with a volume of 1197834 shares. The stock had previously closed at $267.77.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on IQV shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of IQVIA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 29th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of IQVIA from $252.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of IQVIA from $221.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on IQVIA from $220.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $240.00 price target on IQVIA in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $243.62.

IQVIA Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day moving average is $232.02 and its 200-day moving average is $193.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.00 billion, a PE ratio of 32.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.18.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.03 by $0.12. IQVIA had a net margin of 8.10% and a return on equity of 30.25%. The business had revenue of $4.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.81 EPS. The business's revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that IQVIA Holdings Inc. will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Eric Sherbet sold 5,000 shares of IQVIA stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $249.16, for a total value of $1,245,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,999 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,232,110.84. This trade represents a 19.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider James G. Berkshire sold 2,668 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.33, for a total value of $697,228.44. Following the sale, the insider owned 10,890 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,845,883.70. This trade represents a 19.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,581 shares of company stock valued at $3,796,021. 1.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of IQVIA by 244.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $703,000 after purchasing an additional 2,537 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of IQVIA by 102.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 9,728 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $1,715,000 after acquiring an additional 4,915 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of IQVIA in the 2nd quarter valued at about $514,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of IQVIA by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 92,015 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $14,501,000 after acquiring an additional 11,845 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in IQVIA by 5.4% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 22,731 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $3,582,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.62% of the company's stock.

IQVIA Company Profile

IQVIA NYSE: IQV is a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry. The company combines clinical research capabilities with large-scale health data and analytics to support drug development, regulatory reporting, commercial strategy and real‑world evidence generation. IQVIA traces its current form to the combination of Quintiles and IMS Health announced in 2016 and subsequently rebranded as IQVIA, bringing together long-established clinical research operations and extensive healthcare information assets.

IQVIA's principal activities include outsourced clinical development services (acting as a contract research organization for phases I–IV), real‑world evidence and observational research, regulatory and safety services, and a suite of technology platforms that enable data integration, analytics and operational management.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.