Brokerages Set Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) PT at $123.38

Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) have received a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the ten research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $123.38.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on NVS shares. HSBC cut Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “underweight” rating for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novartis

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Raiffeisen Bank International AG acquired a new stake in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Human Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Stock Up 2.4 %

Shares of NVS opened at $115.60 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $236.29 billion, a PE ratio of 19.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Novartis has a 52-week low of $92.35 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.02 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $107.89.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Novartis will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

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.