Van Strum & Towne Inc. Raises Holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Van Strum & Towne Inc. increased its position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 20.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,372 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Van Strum & Towne Inc.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $231,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA purchased a new stake in Novartis during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth $51,000. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Novartis Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NVS opened at $109.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $223.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.56, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a 50-day moving average of $105.36 and a 200 day moving average of $107.77. Novartis AG has a 1-year low of $92.35 and a 1-year high of $120.92.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 23.56%. On average, research analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on NVS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. StockNews.com raised Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Erste Group Bank reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “underweight” rating on the stock. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price 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.