Bfsg LLC Sells 330 Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Bfsg LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 33.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 670 shares of the company’s stock after selling 330 shares during the period. Bfsg LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $65,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Human Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in Novartis by 503.8% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 320 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter worth $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of Novartis stock opened at $107.06 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $100.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.16. Novartis AG has a 12-month low of $92.35 and a 12-month high of $120.92. The company has a market capitalization of $218.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.58.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on NVS shares. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “underweight” rating on the stock. Finally, HSBC downgraded shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Three equities research 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $123.38.

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.