Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Purchases 11,095 Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 10,877.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,197 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,095 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC's holdings in Novartis were worth $1,090,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Human Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter worth $47,000. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter worth $51,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter valued at about $55,000. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NVS traded up $1.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $112.23. The company had a trading volume of 2,213,607 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,544,101. Novartis AG has a 12 month low of $96.06 and a 12 month high of $120.92. 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 cap of $237.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $109.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.16.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share 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%. As a group, analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 8.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's dividend payout ratio is 44.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Novartis to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com raised shares of Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on Novartis in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "underweight" rating on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus 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.