Intrust Bank NA Grows Position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Intrust Bank NA boosted its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 10.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,383 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,202 shares during the period. Intrust Bank NA’s holdings in Novartis were worth $1,250,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of NVS. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Novartis during the third quarter worth $28,000. Planned Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its stake in Novartis by 480.0% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 348 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 288 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the third quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Adirondack Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 69.1% during the third quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 389 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Stock Up 0.4 %

Novartis stock traded up $0.41 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $97.50. The stock had a trading volume of 133,644 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,552,559. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $92.19 and a 52-week high of $108.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock has a market cap of $199.29 billion, a PE ratio of 13.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.54. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $97.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $98.98.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $11.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.69 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 31.33% and a return on equity of 32.15%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.51 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 7.22 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were given a dividend of $3.7772 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This is an increase from Novartis’s previous annual dividend of $3.47. Novartis’s payout ratio is currently 32.79%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Novartis from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Novartis in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock.

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.