Garland Capital Management Inc. Cuts Position in Novartis AG $NVS

Garland Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 72.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,170 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,330 shares during the period. Novartis accounts for 5.6% of Garland Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Garland Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Novartis were worth $407,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new position in Novartis in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Country Trust Bank increased its position in Novartis by 47.4% in the 3rd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 342 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Quaker Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Novartis by 200.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 352 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 704 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Asset Planning Inc. acquired a new position in Novartis during the 2nd quarter worth $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Cfra set a $126.00 price target on Novartis and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Novartis from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Novartis from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, HSBC reiterated a “reduce” rating and set a $112.00 price objective on shares of Novartis in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $119.75.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of Novartis stock opened at $156.41 on Friday. Novartis AG has a 52 week low of $97.71 and a 52 week high of $156.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market cap of $330.40 billion, a PE ratio of 21.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.50. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $140.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.82.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.99 by $0.04. Novartis had a net margin of 25.65% and a return on equity of 40.53%. The company had revenue of $524.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.98 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be issued a $4.773 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a dividend yield of 312.0%. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.31%.

Key Stories Impacting Novartis

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and 12‑month high — Novartis reported adjusted EPS of $2.03 vs. consensus $1.99 and the stock hit a new 12‑month high as investors took the beat and margin strength as a signal of underlying profitability. Novartis Reaches New 12-Month High Following Strong Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Record margins: management highlighted record core operating margins on the earnings call, helping offset topline softness and supporting EPS and free‑cash‑flow expectations. Novartis Earnings Call: Record Margins
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target moved higher — at least one published target was increased (~11%), reinforcing the bullish reaction from the Street. Price Target Increased
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns — Novartis declared an annual dividend of $4.773/share (record Mar 11, pay Mar 16), and commentary noted ongoing buybacks that support EPS and valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and value thesis — analysts and investors point to a deep pipeline, upcoming clinical readouts and active buybacks as reasons Novartis may re‑rate from current multiples. Novartis: Value Price, Growth Pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcripts and slides available — full Q4 call transcript and the investor presentation provide detail on product trends, margin drivers and near‑term catalysts for modeling. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Q4 Results Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and generic pressure — Q4 revenue fell short as generic competition pressured Entresto and Promacta sales; revenue weakness is a near‑term headwind to top‑line growth expectations. Revenue Miss / Generic Pressure
• Negative Sentiment: ESG and sustainability risk flagged — Novartis disclosed new environmental/social risks that could affect reputation, financing or long‑term valuation if not addressed. ESG and Sustainability Risks

Novartis Company Profile

Novartis is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel that researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and related health-care products. Formed through the 1996 merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, Novartis operates globally and focuses on bringing therapeutics from discovery through clinical development to commercial markets worldwide.

The company’s activities center on innovative pharmaceuticals across several therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuroscience and ophthalmology, alongside capabilities in advanced therapies such as biologics, cell and gene therapies.