Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 165,442 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,186 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $16,099,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of NVS. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Novartis by 18.2% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Novartis by 145.1% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 191,317 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,005,000 after acquiring an additional 113,260 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Novartis by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 14,389 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,655,000 after acquiring an additional 323 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp raised its stake in shares of Novartis by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 10,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,201,000 after acquiring an additional 919 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its stake in shares of Novartis by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 15,384 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,769,000 after acquiring an additional 963 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NVS stock opened at $113.35 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $231.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.84. Novartis AG has a 1-year low of $92.35 and a 1-year high of $120.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $106.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $107.55.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a net margin of 23.56% and a return on equity of 37.24%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $3.8695 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on NVS. StockNews.com raised shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. HSBC downgraded shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “underweight” rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $123.38.

Novartis 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.