Novartis (NYSE:NVS) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE:NVS) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on NVS. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $163.00 price target on shares of Novartis in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Wednesday. HSBC raised Novartis from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $123.00 to $136.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $152.25.

Novartis Stock Down 0.3%

NYSE:NVS opened at $160.67 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $306.58 billion, a PE ratio of 30.66, a P/E/G ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Novartis has a 1-year low of $122.57 and a 1-year high of $170.46. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $148.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $151.80.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.21. Novartis had a return on equity of 41.04% and a net margin of 18.11%. The business had revenue of $15.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.53 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Novartis will post 9.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Novartis

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. CPC Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Novartis by 4.6% in the second quarter. CPC Advisors LLC now owns 1,516 shares of the company’s stock valued at $238,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Canopy Partners LLC raised its holdings in Novartis by 1.9% during the third quarter. Canopy Partners LLC now owns 3,525 shares of the company’s stock worth $503,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Busey Bank raised its holdings in Novartis by 2.8% during the third quarter. Busey Bank now owns 2,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 1,802 shares of the company’s stock worth $282,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PFG Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 4,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $654,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Novartis

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Novartis received a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting improved expectations for its earnings prospects. The upgrade could provide near-term support for the shares. Novartis Rating Upgrade to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also identified NVS as a strong long-term momentum stock, highlighting favorable style and performance characteristics that may attract growth and momentum investors. Novartis Top Momentum Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Novartis’s third-quarter results exceeded consensus expectations, with earnings per share of $2.46 versus $2.25 expected and revenue of $15.03 billion versus $14.53 billion expected. Revenue increased 4.4% year over year, supporting the company’s fundamental outlook. Novartis Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: DZ Bank initiated coverage with a Hold rating, signaling a balanced view of Novartis’s earnings strength and valuation. DZ Bank Novartis Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank downgraded Novartis from Hold to Sell, adding direct analyst pressure to the stock and countering the more favorable Zacks assessment. Deutsche Bank Downgrades Novartis
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts reduced peak-sales forecasts for remibrutinib after a late-stage multiple-sclerosis trial met its primary endpoint but appeared weaker than expected. The development raises concerns about the drug’s ability to offset upcoming patent-related revenue pressure. Novartis Remibrutinib and Patent Cliff
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank forecast weaker earnings for Novartis, adding to concerns that future results may not match the company’s recent quarterly beat. Erste Group Predicts Weaker Novartis Earnings

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis AG is a Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines. The company’s research and commercial activities span areas including cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, immunology, neuroscience, oncology and hematology. Its portfolio includes prescription medicines such as Entresto, Cosentyx, Kisqali, Kesimpta, Leqvio, Pluvicto and Scemblix.

Novartis serves patients and healthcare providers in markets around the world.