IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV) Sees Large Drop in Short Interest

IQVIA Holdings Inc. (NYSE:IQV) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,735,524 shares, a decrease of 20.6% from the December 15th total of 4,704,477 shares. Approximately 2.2% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,165,163 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,165,163 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days. Approximately 2.2% of the company’s stock are sold short.

IQVIA Stock Performance

Shares of IQV stock traded down $3.25 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $238.03. 1,350,702 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,068,363. IQVIA has a 52 week low of $134.65 and a 52 week high of $247.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.65, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $227.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $204.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.70.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The medical research company reported $3.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.07 billion. IQVIA had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 30.70%. The business’s revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.84 EPS. IQVIA has set its FY 2025 guidance at 11.850-11.950 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that IQVIA will post 10.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of IQVIA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Mizuho set a $266.00 price target on IQVIA in a research report on Friday, January 9th. HSBC raised IQVIA from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $195.00 to $235.00 in a report on Thursday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of IQVIA from $177.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of IQVIA in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $260.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $249.19.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Eric Sherbet sold 4,000 shares of IQVIA stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.70, for a total value of $878,800.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 27,108 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,955,627.60. This trade represents a 12.86% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of IQVIA

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of IQVIA by 1,340.0% during the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 144 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in IQVIA by 219.6% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 147 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in IQVIA in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in IQVIA in the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC grew its holdings in shares of IQVIA by 224.0% during the 2nd quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 243 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.62% of the company’s stock.

About IQVIA

IQVIA (NYSE: IQV) is a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry. The company combines clinical research capabilities with large-scale health data and analytics to support drug development, regulatory reporting, commercial strategy and real‑world evidence generation. IQVIA traces its current form to the combination of Quintiles and IMS Health announced in 2016 and subsequently rebranded as IQVIA, bringing together long-established clinical research operations and extensive healthcare information assets.

IQVIA’s principal activities include outsourced clinical development services (acting as a contract research organization for phases I–IV), real‑world evidence and observational research, regulatory and safety services, and a suite of technology platforms that enable data integration, analytics and operational management.