Natixis Advisors LLC Trims Holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Natixis Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 7.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 872,465 shares of the company’s stock after selling 66,379 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $84,899,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Novartis by 17.4% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 2,002,959 shares of the company’s stock valued at $194,908,000 after acquiring an additional 296,950 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its stake in Novartis by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,353,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $155,669,000 after buying an additional 70,314 shares in the last quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC increased its stake in Novartis by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 1,161,139 shares of the company’s stock worth $112,990,000 after buying an additional 52,044 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter valued at about $88,339,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 18.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 780,980 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,289,000 after purchasing an additional 123,077 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Price Performance

NYSE NVS opened at $109.15 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $105.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $107.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Novartis AG has a 12-month low of $92.35 and a 12-month high of $120.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 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%. Analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NVS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “underweight” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $123.38.

About Novartis

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.