Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) Trading 0.2% Higher – Should You Buy?

Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) were up 0.2% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $82.57 and last traded at $80.31. Approximately 2,009,699 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 63% from the average daily volume of 5,387,831 shares. The stock had previously closed at $80.15.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NVO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group raised shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $156.00 to $105.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus cut Novo Nordisk A/S from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $145.25.

Novo Nordisk A/S Trading Up 0.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $83.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.39. The company has a market cap of $361.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.42.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.03. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 34.81% and a return on equity of 84.68%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.7874 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.2%. This is a boost from Novo Nordisk A/S’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. Novo Nordisk A/S’s payout ratio is presently 47.72%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novo Nordisk A/S

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Center for Financial Planning Inc. increased its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 72.4% during the 4th quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 2,727.3% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 311 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Transce3nd LLC bought a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 11.54% of the company’s stock.

Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile

Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease.