IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The medical research company reported $3.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.40 by $0.02, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $4.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. IQVIA had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 30.70%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.12 earnings per share. IQVIA updated its FY 2026 guidance to 12.550-12.850 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from IQVIA’s conference call:

• Strong quarter and full‑year performance with Q4 revenue up 10.3% (8.1% cc), full‑year revenue growth of 6%, adjusted EPS up 7%, free cash flow of $2.1B (~100% of adjusted net income), and FY‑2026 guidance of $17.15B–$17.35B revenue and $12.55–$12.85 adjusted EPS.
• Demand recovery reflected in bookings and backlog — Q4 net bookings >$2.7B, a net book‑to‑bill of 1.18, and a record backlog of $32.7B (up 5.3% YoY) with $8.3B of next‑12‑month revenue in backlog.
• Strategic AI and cloud momentum — named AWS preferred agentic cloud provider, continued partnership with NVIDIA, Everest Group generative AI recognition, and early client wins for AI‑enabled clinical and commercial solutions suggest accelerating monetization of AI investments.
• Elevated leverage and rising interest cost — gross debt of $15.7B, net leverage of 3.63x, and 2026 net interest expense guidance of ~$760M (≈$80M higher YoY) could constrain financial flexibility and margin expansion.

IQVIA Stock Up 4.0%

NYSE:IQV traded up $7.16 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $188.12. 1,992,335 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,618,679. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $228.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $209.42. IQVIA has a twelve month low of $134.65 and a twelve month high of $247.04. The firm has a market cap of $32.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.70.

IQVIA News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting IQVIA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — EPS $3.42 vs. ~$3.40 consensus and revenue $4.36B vs. ~$4.24B; revenue grew double digits year‑over‑year, supporting demand recovery from pharma clients. IQVIA Q4 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Company issued FY‑2026 guidance (EPS 12.55–12.85; revenue $17.2B–$17.4B) that is near or modestly above consensus revenue, giving a baseline for 2026 recovery expectations. IQVIA FY2026 Guidance (press materials)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst research/forecast pages provide varying takes on valuation and forward estimates — useful for modeling revisions but not a single consensus driver. IQVIA Stock Forecasts (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and some coverage flagged the FY outlook as disappointing after accounting for higher interest expense — Reuters and others note annual profit forecasts were lowered, which dented sentiment and prompted price weakness in some sessions. IQVIA forecasts weak annual profit on higher interest expenses
• Negative Sentiment: Several outlets reported that the 2026 outlook missed portions of Wall Street expectations for adjusted earnings, triggering intraday selling and negative headlines. IQVIA Stock Drops as 2026 Outlook Misses
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts questioned the near‑term payoff from IQVIA’s AI strategy and at least one firm (BTIG) cut its rating to neutral, adding to downside pressure. IQVIA backs AI strategy as analysts question impact BTIG cuts IQVIA rating to neutral

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IQVIA

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in IQVIA by 244.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $703,000 after buying an additional 2,537 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of IQVIA by 102.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 9,728 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,715,000 after buying an additional 4,915 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in IQVIA during the second quarter worth about $514,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in IQVIA by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 92,015 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $14,501,000 after purchasing an additional 11,845 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in IQVIA by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 22,731 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $3,582,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.62% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $225.00 target price on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Thursday. HSBC raised shares of IQVIA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $195.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Barclays cut their price objective on IQVIA from $230.00 to $210.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $258.00 price target on shares of IQVIA and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group set a $240.00 target price on shares of IQVIA in a research note on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $243.63.

About IQVIA

IQVIA (NYSE: IQV) is a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry. The company combines clinical research capabilities with large-scale health data and analytics to support drug development, regulatory reporting, commercial strategy and real‑world evidence generation. IQVIA traces its current form to the combination of Quintiles and IMS Health announced in 2016 and subsequently rebranded as IQVIA, bringing together long-established clinical research operations and extensive healthcare information assets.

IQVIA’s principal activities include outsourced clinical development services (acting as a contract research organization for phases I–IV), real‑world evidence and observational research, regulatory and safety services, and a suite of technology platforms that enable data integration, analytics and operational management.