Neuberger Berman Group LLC Has $10.98 Million Stock Position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Neuberger Berman Group LLC decreased its stake in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 32.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 112,867 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,028 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC's holdings in Novartis were worth $10,983,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Novartis by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 12,884 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,254,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its holdings in shares of Novartis by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 16,682 shares of the company's stock worth $1,623,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Novartis by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,161 shares of the company's stock valued at $405,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Novartis by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,249 shares of the company's stock valued at $316,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Family Offices LLP boosted its position in Novartis by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP now owns 6,107 shares of the company's stock worth $594,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Novartis Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:NVS traded up $0.38 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $110.31. The company had a trading volume of 1,020,301 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,555,241. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $225.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.76, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. Novartis AG has a one year low of $92.35 and a one year high of $120.92. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $109.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $106.36.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 research analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 12th were given a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NVS has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com raised Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "underweight" rating for the company. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given 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, Novartis has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $123.38.

Novartis Company 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.