Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Increases Stake in Novartis AG $NVS

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 65.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,982 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,957 shares during the quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Novartis were worth $1,280,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Quaker Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 200.0% during the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 352 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 704 shares during the period. Country Trust Bank boosted its position in Novartis by 47.4% in the third quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 342 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP increased its holdings in Novartis by 28.0% in the 2nd quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP now owns 448 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVS has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cfra set a $126.00 price objective on Novartis and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $119.75.

Novartis Stock Down 0.7%

NVS stock opened at $162.76 on Monday. Novartis AG has a one year low of $97.71 and a one year high of $167.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.12. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $146.79 and its 200 day moving average is $134.23. The firm has a market cap of $343.81 billion, a PE ratio of 22.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.50.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by $0.04. Novartis had a net margin of 25.65% and a return on equity of 40.53%. The business had revenue of $13.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.98 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Novartis

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: President Trump said he met Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan and highlighted the company is building 11 U.S. manufacturing plants — a signal of stronger U.S. production footprint, potential government support and on‑shoring that can reduce supply risk and support future sales. Trump meets Novartis CEO, says drugmaker building 11 US plants
• Positive Sentiment: Novartis is making a major R&D/portfolio bet — a $1.8 billion investment in oral peptide programs — which could expand its pipeline into high‑value modalities if clinical progress continues. This is growth‑oriented spending that investors may view positively for long‑term upside. Novartis Makes $1.8 Billion Bet On Oral Peptides
• Neutral Sentiment: Novartis agreed to sell its ~70.7% holding in its listed Indian unit to a consortium (WaveRise, ChrysCapital, Two Infinity) for about $159M — a sizeable strategic divestment geographically but small relative to Novartis’ market cap; it reduces direct India exposure and will free up capital, though near‑term earnings impact is modest. Novartis to sell entire 71% stake in Indian unit to consortium of WaveRise Investments
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst revisions from Zacks are mixed but tilted downward overall: Zacks issued multiple cuts to quarterly and FY2026/2027 EPS estimates (several Q2/Q3 and FY reductions), which can pressure sentiment and imply lower near‑term earnings growth expectations. These downgrades are likely the primary short‑term negative driver.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary pieces (e.g., Yahoo Finance stock look) provide broader context but contain no single catalyst; useful for long‑term perspective but not a direct price driver today. Where is Novartis AG (NVS) Headed?

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.