Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC Purchases 9,081 Shares of Novartis AG $NVS

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 161,147 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,081 shares during the quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $20,665,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of NVS. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. raised its stake in Novartis by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 85,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,926,000 after acquiring an additional 11,500 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in Novartis by 5.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 132,536 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,001,000 after purchasing an additional 6,924 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 13.2% in the second quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 49,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,975,000 after purchasing an additional 5,742 shares during the last quarter. Todd Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 5.8% in the third quarter. Todd Asset Management LLC now owns 439,879 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,411,000 after purchasing an additional 23,978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Novartis by 27.7% in the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 64,760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,305,000 after purchasing an additional 14,032 shares during the period. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Stock Performance

NYSE NVS opened at $162.76 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of $343.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.50. Novartis AG has a 12-month low of $97.71 and a 12-month high of $167.86. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $146.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $134.23.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $13.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.85 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 25.65% and a return on equity of 40.53%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.98 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be issued a $4.773 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a yield of 312.0%. Novartis’s payout ratio is currently 36.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 12th. DZ Bank cut Novartis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Cfra set a $126.00 target price on Novartis and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $119.75.

Novartis News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: President Trump said he met Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan and highlighted the company is building 11 U.S. manufacturing plants — a signal of stronger U.S. production footprint, potential government support and on‑shoring that can reduce supply risk and support future sales. Trump meets Novartis CEO, says drugmaker building 11 US plants
• Positive Sentiment: Novartis is making a major R&D/portfolio bet — a $1.8 billion investment in oral peptide programs — which could expand its pipeline into high‑value modalities if clinical progress continues. This is growth‑oriented spending that investors may view positively for long‑term upside. Novartis Makes $1.8 Billion Bet On Oral Peptides
• Neutral Sentiment: Novartis agreed to sell its ~70.7% holding in its listed Indian unit to a consortium (WaveRise, ChrysCapital, Two Infinity) for about $159M — a sizeable strategic divestment geographically but small relative to Novartis’ market cap; it reduces direct India exposure and will free up capital, though near‑term earnings impact is modest. Novartis to sell entire 71% stake in Indian unit to consortium of WaveRise Investments
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst revisions from Zacks are mixed but tilted downward overall: Zacks issued multiple cuts to quarterly and FY2026/2027 EPS estimates (several Q2/Q3 and FY reductions), which can pressure sentiment and imply lower near‑term earnings growth expectations. These downgrades are likely the primary short‑term negative driver.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary pieces (e.g., Yahoo Finance stock look) provide broader context but contain no single catalyst; useful for long‑term perspective but not a direct price driver today. Where is Novartis AG (NVS) Headed?

About Novartis

Novartis is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel that researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and related health-care products. Formed through the 1996 merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, Novartis operates globally and focuses on bringing therapeutics from discovery through clinical development to commercial markets worldwide.

The company’s activities center on innovative pharmaceuticals across several therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuroscience and ophthalmology, alongside capabilities in advanced therapies such as biologics, cell and gene therapies.