Novartis (NYSE:NVS) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $2.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.24, Briefing.com reports. Novartis had a net margin of 23.29% and a return on equity of 38.23%. The firm had revenue of $14.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.42 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Novartis’ conference call:

• Novartis said it returned to growth in Q2, with net sales up 1% in constant currencies to $14.4 billion and core operating income flat at $5.9 billion, while reaffirming full-year 2026 guidance.
• The company’s main growth drivers remained strong, led by KISQALI, Kesimpta, PLUVICTO, LEQVIO and Scemblix, each posting double-digit growth and supporting management’s confidence in second-half momentum after Entresto patent expiry.
• Management highlighted several encouraging pipeline updates, including updated KISQALI overall survival data, positive del-brax biomarker results in FSHD, and progress on multiple late-stage readouts expected in the second half of 2026.
• Novartis reiterated that pelacarsen, remibrutinib in MS, and other key readouts remain data-dependent, emphasizing primary endpoints and statistical significance while declining to give new efficacy guidance ahead of trial results.
• The company also said it continues to manage through generic erosion and one-time phasing effects in Q2, including inventory shifts and clinical-trial cost timing, which temporarily boosted reported sales and operating income.

Novartis Price Performance

NYSE:NVS opened at $153.04 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $292.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.45. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $151.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $151.99. Novartis has a one year low of $112.34 and a one year high of $170.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.65.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on NVS shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Novartis from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Novartis from $143.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $141.20.

Trending Headlines about Novartis

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Novartis beat Q2 estimates, reporting EPS of $2.41 versus $2.20 expected and revenue of $14.41 billion versus $14.07 billion expected, driven by strong sales in key brands and lower costs. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed full-year 2026 guidance, which suggests the company is still confident that growth from newer drugs can outweigh declines in older products. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles also pointed to a more constructive investor view, including a Seeking Alpha “buy thesis” upgrade and commentary that Novartis returned to sales growth as newer medicines offset generic pressure. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Vas Narasimhan said there is “no change of plans,” with key clinical trial readouts expected in the second half of the year. That keeps the pipeline story in focus, but it is still a waiting game. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Investors are still watching for headwinds from generic competition and steep sales declines in Entresto, which could limit how quickly Novartis can sustain growth. Article Title

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CrossGen Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 425.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the third quarter worth $33,000. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Novartis by 25.2% in the third quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 462 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Finally, Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis in the fourth quarter valued at about $65,000. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.