IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at UBS Group

UBS Group upgraded shares of IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday,Zacks reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on IQVIA from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Weiss Ratings upgraded IQVIA from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. TD Cowen increased their target price on IQVIA from $233.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on IQVIA from $210.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on IQVIA from $220.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.31.

IQVIA Price Performance

IQV opened at $269.95 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $253.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $205.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.18. IQVIA has a 52-week low of $154.50 and a 52-week high of $277.40.

IQVIA (NYSE:IQV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The medical research company reported $3.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.03 by $0.12. IQVIA had a net margin of 8.10% and a return on equity of 30.25%. The firm had revenue of $4.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.81 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. IQVIA has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.800-13.000 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that IQVIA will post 11.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at IQVIA

In other news, insider Bhavik Patel sold 1,855 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.27, for a total value of $436,425.85. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,348 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $317,143.96. This represents a 57.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Keriann Cherofsky sold 558 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $245.21, for a total transaction of $136,827.18. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,989 shares in the company, valued at $732,932.69. The trade was a 15.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,581 shares of company stock valued at $3,796,021. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IQVIA

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in IQV. Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of IQVIA during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in IQVIA in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Ascentis Independent Advisors bought a new position in IQVIA in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in IQVIA by 218.8% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 153 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in IQVIA during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 89.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About IQVIA

IQVIA Holdings Inc (NYSE: IQV) is a global provider of technology, analytics and contract research services for the life sciences industry. The company helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device organizations develop products, manage clinical trials, understand healthcare markets and improve commercial performance.

IQVIA’s offerings include clinical research and trial management, real-world data and evidence, healthcare analytics, technology platforms, consulting, and commercial services such as sales support and patient engagement.