What is Zacks Research’s Estimate for Novartis Q1 Earnings?

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2027 earnings per share estimates for Novartis in a research report issued on Wednesday, February 18th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $2.43 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.08. The consensus estimate for Novartis’ current full-year earnings is $8.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Novartis’ Q2 2027 earnings at $2.46 EPS and Q3 2027 earnings at $2.44 EPS.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $13.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.98 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on NVS. Cfra set a $126.00 price objective on Novartis and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Barclays raised Novartis from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen cut Novartis from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Novartis from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Novartis has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $119.75.

Novartis Stock Performance

Shares of NVS opened at $162.76 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $146.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $134.08. Novartis has a 12 month low of $97.71 and a 12 month high of $167.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $343.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.50.

Novartis Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NVS. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC bought a new position in Novartis in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Novartis in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust grew its position in Novartis by 425.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust now owns 231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 187 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: 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.