IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Upgraded by William Blair to Strong-Buy Rating

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) was upgraded by research analysts at William Blair to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on IQV. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of IQVIA from $233.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of IQVIA from $252.00 to $287.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $200.00 target price (down from $225.00) on shares of IQVIA in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of IQVIA from $220.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered IQVIA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, IQVIA has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $241.88.

IQVIA Trading Down 3.6%

Shares of IQV stock opened at $238.55 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $193.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $186.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.81 billion, a PE ratio of 29.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.75. IQVIA has a 1-year low of $154.50 and a 1-year high of $251.36.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.03 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $4.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.30 billion. IQVIA had a return on equity of 30.25% and a net margin of 8.10%.IQVIA’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.81 earnings per share. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that IQVIA will post 11.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

IQVIA announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, May 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical research company to buy up to 6.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tema ETFs LLC grew its holdings in shares of IQVIA by 9.4% during the second quarter. Tema ETFs LLC now owns 3,370 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $651,000 after buying an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its position in IQVIA by 2.9% during the second quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 6,118 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,182,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC grew its stake in IQVIA by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC now owns 100,198 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $19,360,000 after acquiring an additional 1,002 shares during the period. HF Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in IQVIA by 25.7% in the 2nd quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 9,095 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,757,000 after acquiring an additional 1,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC acquired a new position in IQVIA in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,589,000. 89.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting IQVIA

Here are the key news stories impacting IQVIA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IQVIA reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.15 per share, exceeding the $3.03 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 8.7% year over year to $4.37 billion, above expectations of $4.30 billion. IQVIA Holdings Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised or reaffirmed a favorable full-year 2026 outlook, including adjusted EPS guidance of $12.80 to $13.00, reinforcing expectations for continued growth. IQVIA surges on Q2 beat and guidance hike
• Positive Sentiment: The earnings beat and improved outlook pushed IQVIA to a new 52-week high and extended its recent winning streak, signaling strong investor momentum. IQVIA Sets New 52-Week High Following Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts raised their price targets following the results: JPMorgan to $285, Stifel to $276, and Robert W. Baird to $287, with overweight, buy, or outperform ratings. Analyst price-target increases
• Neutral Sentiment: The analyst consensus remains constructive, with IQVIA receiving a “Moderate Buy” rating, but target changes have been mixed and the stock is trading near its recent high. IQVIA Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy
• Negative Sentiment: One analysis downgraded IQVIA, arguing that it is a high-quality business but that its valuation has become too demanding after the rally. With a reported P/E near 30, valuation and profit-taking could limit near-term upside. IQVIA: A Great Business At The Wrong Price

IQVIA Company Profile

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.