DGS Capital Management LLC Purchases 576 Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

DGS Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,305 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 576 shares during the quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $940,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVS. McCarthy Grittinger Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its stake in shares of Novartis by 480.0% during the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 348 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NVS traded down $1.32 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $93.09. 755,611 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,481,092. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $92.19 and a 52-week high of $108.78. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $98.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $99.18. The company has a market cap of $197.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.54.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $11.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.69 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 29.90%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.51 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 7.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Novartis Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $3.7772 dividend. This is an increase from Novartis’s previous annual dividend of $3.47. This represents a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. Novartis’s payout ratio is currently 34.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on NVS. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. Finally, HSBC cut shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Novartis presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $104.33.

About Novartis

Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. It 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.