Zacks Research Comments on Novartis' Q1 Earnings (NYSE:NVS)

Key Points

• Zacks Research has lowered its Q1 2026 EPS estimate for Novartis to $2.26, down from $2.28, as part of broader earnings outlook adjustments.
• In its latest quarterly earnings report, Novartis beat consensus estimates with $2.42 EPS and generated $14.05 billion in revenue, reflecting a 12.3% year-over-year growth.
• BNP Paribas upgraded Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating, with an average price target of $123.67, despite the stock currently holding a mixed analyst rating of "Hold."

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) - Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Novartis in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, July 31st. Zacks Research analyst E. Bagri now forecasts that the company will earn $2.26 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $2.28. The consensus estimate for Novartis' current full-year earnings is $8.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Novartis' Q3 2026 earnings at $2.21 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.16 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.26 EPS and Q2 2027 earnings at $3.20 EPS.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 17th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $14.05 billion for 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 quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.97 EPS.

Separately, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $123.67.

Novartis Stock Up 1.3%

Novartis stock opened at $115.25 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $243.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.82. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $117.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $111.83. Novartis has a twelve month low of $96.06 and a twelve month high of $124.83.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Nexus Investment Management ULC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Tsfg LLC grew its stake in Novartis by 366.0% in the 1st quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 233 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raiffeisen Bank International AG acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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