Seaview Investment Managers LLC Boosts Stock Position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Seaview Investment Managers LLC grew its stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 17.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 97,331 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,518 shares during the quarter. Novartis comprises about 2.6% of Seaview Investment Managers LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Seaview Investment Managers LLC's holdings in Novartis were worth $9,471,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Novartis by 35.6% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 423,142 shares of the company's stock worth $41,176,000 after purchasing an additional 111,066 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Novartis by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 89,074 shares of the company's stock worth $8,668,000 after buying an additional 18,894 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Novartis by 20.1% in the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 30,840 shares of the company's stock worth $3,001,000 after acquiring an additional 5,164 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis during the fourth quarter valued at $239,000. Finally, Arvest Bank Trust Division bought a new position in Novartis in the third quarter valued at about $2,674,000. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NVS traded up $0.80 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $111.97. 1,515,065 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,545,275. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $96.06 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company has a market cap of $236.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.56. The company's 50-day moving average price is $109.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.24.

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

Novartis Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "underweight" rating for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Novartis from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average 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.