Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW) Stock Position Raised by National Bank of Canada FI

National Bank of Canada FI lifted its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW - Free Report) by 9.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 332,387 shares of the medical research company's stock after buying an additional 28,534 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned approximately 0.06% of Edwards Lifesciences worth $24,607,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 69,132,036 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $5,117,845,000 after purchasing an additional 6,537,494 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 33,210,879 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $2,458,601,000 after purchasing an additional 1,678,154 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 1.0% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 26,265,633 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $1,733,270,000 after buying an additional 256,538 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,521,147 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $889,050,000 after buying an additional 284,918 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,775,276 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $723,664,000 after buying an additional 696,965 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.46% of the company's stock.

Edwards Lifesciences Stock Up 4.2 %

Shares of NYSE EW traded up $2.79 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $69.86. 8,765,872 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,887,186. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 2.89 and a current ratio of 3.46. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a 52-week low of $58.93 and a 52-week high of $95.25. The business's fifty day moving average price is $71.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.07 billion, a PE ratio of 10.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 1.15.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 11th. The medical research company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.04. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 19.40% and a net margin of 72.93%. Analysts forecast that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.45 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wolfe Research cut shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $75.00 to $73.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Edwards Lifesciences presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $79.95.

Insider Activity at Edwards Lifesciences

In other Edwards Lifesciences news, Director Steven R. Loranger sold 5,739 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.42, for a total transaction of $438,574.38. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,372 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,613,628.24. This trade represents a 8.68 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Daniel J. Lippis sold 500 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.76, for a total value of $34,380.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 23,189 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,594,475.64. The trade was a 2.11 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 62,853 shares of company stock valued at $4,534,247 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.29% of the company's stock.

About Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names.