Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC Has $5.10 Million Holdings in Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS)

Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 52,399 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 604 shares during the quarter. Novartis makes up about 1.9% of Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Novartis were worth $5,099,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Human Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA acquired a new position in Novartis during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Novartis during the third quarter worth $28,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Novartis in the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at about $51,000. 13.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Novartis Stock Performance

NVS opened at $112.69 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $230.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.53. The business’s fifty day moving average is $107.92 and its 200-day moving average is $107.19. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $92.35 and a 52-week high of $120.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.18. Novartis had a net margin of 23.56% and a return on equity of 37.24%. Sell-side analysts expect that Novartis AG will post 8.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 12th were paid a $3.8695 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 12th. Novartis’s payout ratio is currently 42.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on NVS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com upgraded Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Novartis in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “underweight” rating for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $123.38.

About Novartis

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.