Roble Belko & Company Inc Raises Holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Roble Belko & Company Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 46.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 470 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Roble Belko & Company Inc’s holdings in Novartis were worth $47,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of NVS. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its stake in Novartis by 480.0% in 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 period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Adirondack Trust Co. grew its stake in Novartis by 69.1% in the 3rd quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 389 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. 13.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Novartis Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of NVS stock traded up $2.29 on Tuesday, reaching $97.41. 2,322,423 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,519,974. The stock has a market cap of $199.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $97.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.99. Novartis AG has a 1-year low of $92.19 and a 1-year high of $108.78.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $11.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.69 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 29.90% and a net margin of 29.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.51 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 7.13 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a dividend of $3.7772 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is an increase from Novartis’s previous annual dividend of $3.47. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.84%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Novartis in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. Three investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Novartis has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $114.00.

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.