Zacks Research Comments on Novartis’ Q1 Earnings (NYSE:NVS)

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Novartis in a report issued on Tuesday, March 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $2.11 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.17. The consensus estimate for Novartis’ current full-year earnings is $8.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Novartis’ Q3 2026 earnings at $2.28 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.85 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $10.92 EPS.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $2.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $13.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.85 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 40.53% and a net margin of 25.65%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.98 earnings per share.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Novartis from $143.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Barclays raised Novartis from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Argus upgraded Novartis from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised Novartis to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $141.20.

Novartis Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Novartis stock opened at $148.30 on Thursday. Novartis has a 1 year low of $97.71 and a 1 year high of $170.46. The firm has a market cap of $313.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.71, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a 50-day moving average of $155.88 and a 200 day moving average of $139.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Novartis Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th were issued 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 payout ratio is presently 43.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Novartis

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVS. Arlington Trust Co LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. CrossGen Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Novartis in the third quarter worth $31,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust increased 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 acquiring an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Novartis during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Novartis

Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic pipeline lift — acquisition adds Exl‑111, a next‑generation anti‑IgE candidate designed to dissociate receptor‑bound IgE and potentially deliver faster, deeper suppression across food allergy, urticaria and asthma; strengthens Novartis’ allergy franchise and long‑term growth optionality. Novartis press release
• Positive Sentiment: Third‑party validation of strategic rationale — Zacks and other outlets highlight the deal as a targeted move to shore up Novartis’ immunology/allergy pipeline, giving the company a potentially differentiated asset in an established biology area. Zacks: Novartis bolsters immunology pipeline
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target lift — Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $170 and moved to overweight, suggesting upside based on the company’s pipeline and strategic M&A. That supports a constructive medium‑term view despite near‑term noise. Benzinga: Morgan Stanley raises PT
• Neutral Sentiment: Deal terms and timing — Novartis will pay up to $2.0B in upfront and milestone payments; transaction expected to close in H2 2026 subject to customary conditions. That sets clear milestone watches but implies multi‑year value realization. Reuters: Deal terms
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst caution on execution and timing — Goldman Sachs (via TipRanks) kept a Sell rating, citing long‑dated pipeline risk and looming loss‑of‑exclusivity (LOE) headwinds that the Excellergy add does not immediately offset; some investors may view the deal as expensive for an early‑stage asset. TipRanks: Goldman Sachs reaction

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.