Middleton & Co. Inc. MA Boosts Stock Position in IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV)

Middleton & Co. Inc. MA increased its stake in IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 48,438 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 601 shares during the quarter. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA’s holdings in IQVIA were worth $9,519,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in IQVIA during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of IQVIA during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in IQVIA by 117.6% in the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 161 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its position in IQVIA by 612.5% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 228 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in IQVIA in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.62% of the company’s stock.

IQVIA Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE:IQV opened at $188.89 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $33.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $199.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $214.96. IQVIA Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $184.66 and a 12 month high of $261.73.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The medical research company reported $2.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.11 by ($0.21). IQVIA had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 28.81%. Equities analysts predict that IQVIA Holdings Inc. will post 10.84 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John G. Danhakl purchased 1,275 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $200.58 per share, with a total value of $255,739.50. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,275 shares in the company, valued at $255,739.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on IQV. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of IQVIA from $270.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. Stephens started coverage on IQVIA in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $250.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of IQVIA from $273.00 to $261.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Leerink Partners restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $248.00 price objective (down from $260.00) on shares of IQVIA in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, BTIG Research lowered shares of IQVIA from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $251.22.

About IQVIA

IQVIA Holdings Inc engages in the provision of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Technology & Analytics Solutions, Research & Development Solutions, and Contract Sales & Medical Solutions.