Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Has $2.34 Million Stock Position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 5.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 24,072 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,221 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $2,342,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of NVS. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth about $51,000. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NVS opened at $112.11 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $106.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $107.48. Novartis AG has a twelve month low of $92.35 and a twelve month high of $120.92. The company has a market cap of $229.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.07, a PEG 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 (NYSE:NVS) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. Research analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s payout ratio is 42.69%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “underweight” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. HSBC lowered Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $123.38.

Novartis Company Profile

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.