Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Has $3.85 Million Holdings in Novartis AG $NVS

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 30.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 27,909 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,593 shares during the quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $3,848,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new position in Novartis during the third quarter worth $31,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Novartis during the third quarter valued at $33,000. South Plains Financial Inc. boosted its position in Novartis by 39.0% during the third quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis during the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Country Trust Bank grew its holdings in Novartis by 47.4% during the 3rd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 342 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. 13.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Novartis News

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Priority brands and launches delivered strong growth (Kisqali, Pluvicto, Kesimpta, Leqvio, Scemblix) and management flagged continued launch momentum—supports medium-term sales recovery. GlobeNewswire Q1 release
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple pipeline/regulatory milestones reported (Remibrutinib CHMP opinion, Ianalumab breakthrough designation/priority review, Fabhalta Phase III eGFR results) — reduces binary risk and supports future revenue upside. GlobeNewswire milestones
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition of Avidity adds three late?stage neuromuscular assets, expanding near?term product optionality. Yahoo: Avidity / R&D
• Positive Sentiment: Solid free cash flow (Q1 reported ~$3.3B) provides financial flexibility for launches, buybacks or bolt?on M&A. GlobeNewswire cash flow
• Neutral Sentiment: Company reaffirmed FY2026 guidance (low single?digit net sales growth; core operating income down low single?digit) — provides guidance stability but keeps the path to 2026 earnings improvements gradual. GlobeNewswire guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Novartis signaled stepped-up R&D spending tied to the Avidity deal (up to ~$70M/month) — supports future product development but raises near-term investment and margin pressure. Yahoo: R&D spend
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 revenue and EPS missed Street estimates (core EPS $1.99 vs. ~$2.11 consensus; revenue slightly below forecasts); Entresto U.S. sales materially down due to generic competition — the immediate driver of the share weakness. Reuters: Q1 profit down
• Negative Sentiment: CEO warned U.S. MFN drug?pricing policy could hit global access and margins, increasing regulatory/policy risk for U.S. revenues over the next 12–18 months. CNBC: CEO MFN warning
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2026 EPS estimate modestly (to ~$8.70 from $8.82), signaling some analyst downward pressure after the quarter (consensus ~ $8.90).

Novartis Price Performance

NVS stock opened at $142.99 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.89. The company’s 50-day moving average is $154.61 and its 200-day moving average is $143.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $272.84 billion, a PE ratio of 19.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.52. Novartis AG has a 1 year low of $104.93 and a 1 year high of $170.46.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.11 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $13.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.54 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 25.65% and a return on equity of 40.53%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.28 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th were given a dividend of $4.773 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 306.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 11th. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.02%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NVS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Novartis from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Novartis from $143.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Barclays upgraded Novartis from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Novartis in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Novartis currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $141.20.

Novartis 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.