Cwm LLC Sells 1,204 Shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Cwm LLC lessened its position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 86,444 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,204 shares during the period. Cwm LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $8,728,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Novartis during the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its position in Novartis by 480.0% during the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Novartis during the third quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Adirondack Trust Co. boosted its holdings in Novartis by 69.1% in the third quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 389 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Novartis Price Performance

NVS opened at $95.11 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $97.98 and a 200 day moving average of $98.99. The stock has a market cap of $194.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.25, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $92.19 and a 52-week high of $108.78.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $11.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.69 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 29.90% and a net margin of 29.83%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.51 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 7.13 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $3.7772 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from Novartis’s previous annual dividend of $3.47. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.84%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NVS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Novartis in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $114.00.

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.