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

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) – Research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for shares of Novartis in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 24th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $2.42 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.43. The consensus estimate for Novartis’ current full-year earnings is $8.45 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Novartis’ Q3 2027 earnings at $2.47 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.79 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also commented on NVS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Novartis from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings raised Novartis from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. DZ Bank cut Novartis from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Novartis in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Novartis presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $141.20.

Novartis Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NVS opened at $148.30 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $313.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.71, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.49. Novartis has a twelve month low of $97.71 and a twelve month high of $170.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a 50 day moving average of $155.88 and a 200 day moving average of $139.87.

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

Novartis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th were issued a $4.773 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 11th. This represents a yield of 306.0%. Novartis’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.02%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Novartis by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 10,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,348,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Roundview Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 2,711 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. IMA Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in Novartis by 10.9% during the fourth quarter. IMA Advisory Services Inc. now owns 710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Abundance Wealth Counselors grew its position in Novartis by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Abundance Wealth Counselors now owns 16,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,334,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Finally, Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Novartis by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. 13.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Novartis News

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

About Novartis

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.