Q2 Earnings Forecast for Novartis Issued By Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Novartis to $2.24 from $2.37, signaling a slightly weaker near-term outlook. The firm also trimmed its FY2026 estimate to $8.75 per share.
• Novartis recently missed earnings expectations for the latest quarter, reporting $1.99 EPS versus the $2.11 consensus, even though revenue of $13.52 billion came in slightly above forecasts. Revenue was down 0.9% from a year earlier.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with seven Buy ratings, seven Hold ratings, and two Sell ratings, leaving the stock at an average “Hold” rating and a $141.20 target price. Novartis shares were trading at $145.98 at the time of the report.

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research lowered their Q2 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Novartis in a report issued on Friday, May 8th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $2.24 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.37. The consensus estimate for Novartis' current full-year earnings is $8.85 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Novartis' Q3 2026 earnings at $2.30 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.23 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.75 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.41 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.45 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.49 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.39 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $2.68 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on NVS. DZ Bank lowered shares of Novartis from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Argus upgraded shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Novartis from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $141.20.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NVS opened at $145.98 on Monday. Novartis has a twelve month low of $104.93 and a twelve month high of $170.46. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $153.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $144.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $278.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.12). Novartis had a net margin of 24.87% and a return on equity of 38.82%. The firm had revenue of $13.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.28 earnings per share. Novartis's revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Novartis by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 220,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,625,000 after buying an additional 9,930 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co grew its position in shares of Novartis by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 1,629 shares of the company's stock valued at $249,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the 1st quarter valued at $62,000. Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the 1st quarter valued at $221,000. Finally, Earned Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Novartis by 15.8% in the 1st quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $349,000 after buying an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Novartis News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its earnings estimates for Novartis’ Q3 2026 and Q4 2026, suggesting a slightly better near-term outlook for those periods. Novartis stock page
• Neutral Sentiment: Several forecast updates were small and largely balanced, including slight increases to some future-quarter EPS estimates and minor cuts to others, which may limit the stock’s immediate reaction. Novartis stock page
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts trimmed estimates for Q2 2026, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027, and FY2026 earnings, pointing to some pressure on expected profitability over the next year. Novartis stock page

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel that researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and related health-care products. Formed through the 1996 merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, Novartis operates globally and focuses on bringing therapeutics from discovery through clinical development to commercial markets worldwide.

The company's activities center on innovative pharmaceuticals across several therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuroscience and ophthalmology, alongside capabilities in advanced therapies such as biologics, cell and gene therapies.

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