NVS Analyst Ratings
Novartis AG (NVS) operates in the Healthcare sector, specifically the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, with a market capitalization near $270.68B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 75,267 people, carrying a beta of 0.42 to the broader market. Novartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the business of developing, manufacturing, and marketing healthcare products. Led by Vasant Narasimhan, public since 1996-11-07.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 12 analysts rated NVS: 3 Strong Buy, 2 Buy, 6 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 12 analysts, 1 Strong Buy, 0 Buy, 8 Hold, 2 Sell and 1 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $146.00
- Median Target
- $146.00
- High
- $156.00
- Low
- $136.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 6
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 6 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 6, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Thibault Boutherin | $156.00 | $140.85 |
| Sep 10, 2026 | HSBC | Not named | $136.00 | $137.48 |
| Mar 26, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | Thibault Boutherin | $170.00 | $149.70 |
| Dec 10, 2025 | HSBC | Not named | $112.00 | $131.01 |
| Dec 3, 2025 | Morgan Stanley | Not named | $143.00 | $132.28 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10, 2026 | HSBC | upgrade | Reduce | Hold |
| Mar 26, 2026 | Morgan Stanley | maintain | Overweight | Overweight |
| Jan 6, 2026 | Barclays | upgrade | Underweight | Equal Weight |
| Dec 8, 2025 | JP Morgan | upgrade | Neutral | Overweight |
| Sep 12, 2025 | Goldman Sachs | downgrade | Neutral | Sell |
Quantitative Rating
NVS carries a model grade of B+ (overall score 3 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read NVS Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked NVS analyst ratings questions
- What is the NVS consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Novartis AG (NVS) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $146.00. Target ranges run from a low of $136.00 to a high of $156.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on NVS?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 12 analysts rated NVS, and the distribution is mixed across rating levels: 3 Strong Buy, 2 Buy, 6 Hold, 1 Sell and 0 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has NVS seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on NVS appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect NVS options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.