Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Shares Sold by D.A. Davidson & CO.

D.A. Davidson & CO. trimmed its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 464,582 shares of the company's stock after selling 22,558 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Novartis were worth $45,209,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Novartis by 26.9% in the fourth quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 89,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,668,000 after buying an additional 18,894 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Novartis by 115.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 231,792 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,797,000 after purchasing an additional 124,111 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Novartis by 20.1% in the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 30,840 shares of the company's stock worth $3,001,000 after purchasing an additional 5,164 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in Novartis by 135.5% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 39,976 shares of the company's stock worth $4,598,000 after purchasing an additional 22,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $239,000. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Price Performance

NYSE NVS traded up $2.11 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $109.42. 2,274,792 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,952,208. The company has a market capitalization of $223.65 billion, a PE ratio of 18.61, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.84. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $92.35 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The firm's 50-day moving average is $101.24 and its 200-day moving average is $108.15.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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%. Equities analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on NVS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Novartis from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Erste Group Bank reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, 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.