Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) Shares Bought by Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.

Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS - Free Report) by 1.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 326,531 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,431 shares during the quarter. Novartis makes up about 1.6% of Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc.'s holdings in Novartis were worth $31,775,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Novartis by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC now owns 89,074 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,668,000 after purchasing an additional 18,894 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Novartis by 20.1% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP increased its holdings in Novartis by 135.5% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 39,976 shares of the company's stock worth $4,598,000 after acquiring an additional 22,998 shares in the last quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis in the 4th quarter worth $239,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Novartis by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 157,256 shares of the company's stock worth $18,088,000 after acquiring an additional 18,990 shares in the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Novartis Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NVS stock traded up $0.43 on Wednesday, hitting $111.85. 1,770,048 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,074,565. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $103.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $107.98. 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 $228.62 billion, a PE ratio of 19.02, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. Novartis AG has a twelve month low of $92.35 and a twelve month high of $120.92.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS - Get Free Report) last announced 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 net margin of 23.56% and a return on equity of 37.24%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NVS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "underweight" rating for the company. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. HSBC lowered shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "reduce" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Erste Group Bank reissued a "hold" rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $123.38.

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.