IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of IQVIA from $273.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets set a $250.00 price target on shares of IQVIA in a report on Friday. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of IQVIA from $230.00 to $210.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. TD Cowen upped their target price on IQVIA from $215.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of IQVIA from $230.00 to $200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, IQVIA currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $241.75.

IQVIA Stock Performance

NYSE:IQV opened at $187.50 on Friday. IQVIA has a 52-week low of $134.65 and a 52-week high of $247.04. The business’s fifty day moving average is $228.03 and its 200 day moving average is $209.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.75. The firm has a market cap of $31.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.85, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.37.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The medical research company reported $3.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.40 by $0.02. IQVIA had a return on equity of 30.50% and a net margin of 8.34%.The business had revenue of $4.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.12 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.550-12.850 EPS. Research analysts predict that IQVIA will post 10.84 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. bought a new position in IQVIA in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in IQVIA in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Activest Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of IQVIA by 590.0% in the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 138 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of IQVIA by 1,340.0% during the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 144 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in IQVIA by 219.6% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 147 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.62% of the company’s stock.

Key IQVIA News

Here are the key news stories impacting IQVIA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus: IQV reported Q4 EPS of $3.42 and revenue of $4.36B, both above estimates and showing double‑digit Y/Y sales growth — a core reason buyers are stepping in. IQVIA Holdings (IQV) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance modestly raised on revenue and EPS ranges (EPS 12.55–12.85; revenue $17.2B–$17.4B) — guidance came in around or slightly above Street revenue/consensus EPS, supporting near‑term sentiment. IQVIA’s (NYSE:IQV) Q4 CY2025 Sales Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies lowered its price target to $255 but kept a “buy” rating — that still implies sizable upside vs. the current price and helps underpin demand from buy‑side holders. Jefferies PT Cut (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup trimmed its price target to $200 and moved to “neutral” — a calibration of expectations but not a full sell signal. Citigroup PT Change (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and value‑style writeups (Zacks) highlight IQV as a longer‑term value play based on style scores — useful for longer‑horizon investors rather than short‑term movers. Why IQVIA Is a Top Value Stock (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: IQV warned that higher interest expenses will weigh on annual profit, and Reuters notes the company forecast annual profit below Street expectations — this is increasing focus on leverage and interest‑rate sensitivity. IQV Forecasts Weak Annual Profit (Reuters)
• Negative Sentiment: Market headlines flagged that shares fell after management’s outlook for adjusted earnings missed some expectations — that knee‑jerk reaction pressured the stock before buyers re‑entered. Shares Down After Outlook Misses (MarketWatch)
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG cut its rating to neutral citing sector headwinds — another signal that some sell‑side shops are taking a more cautious near‑term stance. BTIG Cuts Rating to Neutral (MSN)

IQVIA Company Profile

IQVIA (NYSE: IQV) is a global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services to the life sciences industry. The company combines clinical research capabilities with large-scale health data and analytics to support drug development, regulatory reporting, commercial strategy and real‑world evidence generation. IQVIA traces its current form to the combination of Quintiles and IMS Health announced in 2016 and subsequently rebranded as IQVIA, bringing together long-established clinical research operations and extensive healthcare information assets.

IQVIA’s principal activities include outsourced clinical development services (acting as a contract research organization for phases I–IV), real‑world evidence and observational research, regulatory and safety services, and a suite of technology platforms that enable data integration, analytics and operational management.