one8zero8 LLC Takes $279,000 Position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

one8zero8 LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,864 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $279,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Novartis in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth $51,000. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Novartis Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE:NVS opened at $109.15 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $105.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $107.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.04 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 price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. On average, equities analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NVS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, HSBC cut 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 issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Novartis has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.