Novartis (NYSE:NVS) Sees Large Volume Increase - Should You Buy?

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Monday . 4,138,932 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 191% from the previous session's volume of 1,422,813 shares.The stock last traded at $111.99 and had previously closed at $109.06.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. 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 note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "underweight" rating on the stock. HSBC lowered Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "reduce" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $123.38.

Novartis Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $229.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a 50-day moving average of $106.41 and a 200-day moving average of $107.55.

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

Novartis Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.69%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NVS. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at $109,739,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth $88,339,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 23.1% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,132,591 shares of the company's stock worth $207,522,000 after buying an additional 399,862 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 16.0% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,668,849 shares of the company's stock worth $259,706,000 after buying an additional 368,171 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 17.4% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 2,002,959 shares of the company's stock worth $194,908,000 after buying an additional 296,950 shares during the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.