Zacks Research Analysts Lift Earnings Estimates for Novartis

Key Points

• Zacks Research has raised its earnings estimates for Novartis, now projecting Q1 2026 EPS at $2.29, up from $2.26, with full-year 2026 expected earnings at $9.40 EPS.
• Novartis reported Q2 2023 earnings of $2.42 EPS, exceeding estimates by 4 cents, and achieved a 12.3% revenue increase year-over-year.
• Institutional investors have recently adjusted their stakes in Novartis, contributing to a total institutional ownership of 13.12%.

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Novartis in a research report issued on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $2.29 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $2.26. The consensus estimate for Novartis' current full-year earnings is $8.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Novartis' Q2 2026 earnings at $2.67 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $2.25 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.19 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.40 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.31 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.41 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $10.30 EPS.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.38 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $14.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.94 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 25.64% and a return on equity of 41.08%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.97 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "sell" rating and issued a $118.00 target price (down from $119.00) on shares of Novartis in a research note on Friday, September 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Novartis from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $123.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Novartis from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Novartis currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $120.33.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NVS opened at $132.36 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $279.60 billion, a PE ratio of 19.27, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. Novartis has a 1-year low of $96.06 and a 1-year high of $133.55. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $124.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.59.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novartis

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in Novartis by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,153 shares of the company's stock valued at $599,000 after purchasing an additional 2,666 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Novartis by 11.1% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 38,600 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,303,000 after acquiring an additional 3,846 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. raised its holdings in Novartis by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 3,029 shares of the company's stock valued at $338,000 after acquiring an additional 345 shares during the period. Courier Capital LLC bought a new position in Novartis in the 1st quarter valued at about $223,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Novartis by 27.7% in the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 15,628 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,713,000 after acquiring an additional 3,389 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 13.12% of the company's stock.

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.

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