7,201 Shares in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Acquired by Savvy Advisors Inc.

Savvy Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,201 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $701,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Human Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter worth $47,000. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter valued at about $51,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Novartis during the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Novartis Stock Performance

Novartis stock traded up $1.11 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $110.69. 1,577,944 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,561,026. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $93.15 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The firm's 50 day moving average is $109.21 and its 200 day moving average is $106.33. The stock has a market cap of $226.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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%. Analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a dividend of $3.8695 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's payout ratio is 42.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on NVS. StockNews.com raised Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "underweight" rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Novartis currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $123.38.

About Novartis

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.