Fox Run Management L.L.C. Has $1.41 Million Stock Position in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Fox Run Management L.L.C. reduced its holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,489 shares of the company’s stock after selling 158 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $1,410,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of NVS. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $88,339,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in Novartis by 17.4% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Novartis by 128.1% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 528,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,554,000 after acquiring an additional 296,890 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Novartis in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,063,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $225,000. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Price Performance

NYSE:NVS opened at $112.11 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $229.15 billion, a PE ratio of 19.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. Novartis AG has a 12 month low of $92.35 and a 12 month high of $120.92. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $106.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $107.48.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 EPS 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were issued a dividend of $3.8695 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s payout ratio is presently 42.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. HSBC cut shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “reduce” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, UBS Group restated 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 assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novartis presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $123.38.

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.