IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, sixteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $251.22.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on IQV shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of IQVIA from $240.00 to $232.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $263.00 price target (up from $261.00) on shares of IQVIA in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of IQVIA from $212.00 to $210.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $270.00 price target on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on IQVIA from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st.

Insider Transactions at IQVIA

In related news, Director John G. Danhakl acquired 1,275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $200.58 per share, with a total value of $255,739.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,275 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $255,739.50. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IQVIA

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Smith Group Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of IQVIA in the 4th quarter worth about $1,616,000. Simplify Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in IQVIA by 67.8% during the third quarter. Simplify Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,637 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,284,000 after purchasing an additional 3,894 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in IQVIA by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,405,281 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $277,908,000 after buying an additional 452,029 shares in the last quarter. Hickory Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of IQVIA during the 4th quarter valued at $941,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of IQVIA by 13.0% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 13,179 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $2,590,000 after buying an additional 1,521 shares during the period. 89.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

IQVIA Stock Performance

Shares of IQVIA stock opened at $190.77 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market cap of $33.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.48. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $199.40 and its 200-day moving average is $215.46. IQVIA has a one year low of $187.62 and a one year high of $261.73.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The medical research company reported $2.90 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.11 by ($0.21). IQVIA had a return on equity of 28.81% and a net margin of 8.91%. Equities analysts predict that IQVIA will post 10.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About IQVIA

IQVIA Holdings Inc engages in the provision of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Technology & Analytics Solutions, Research & Development Solutions, and Contract Sales & Medical Solutions.