Optimum Investment Advisors Cuts Position in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO)

Optimum Investment Advisors lowered its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) by 59.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,244 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,750 shares during the quarter. Optimum Investment Advisors’ holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $279,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Center for Financial Planning Inc. grew its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 72.4% during the fourth quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 121.4% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 507 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 82.1% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hager Investment Management Services LLC purchased a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 11.54% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on NVO. StockNews.com lowered Novo Nordisk A/S from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Kepler Capital Markets upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. UBS Group raised shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Novo Nordisk A/S to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $145.25.

Novo Nordisk A/S Trading Down 2.4 %

NVO opened at $76.88 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $344.98 billion, a PE ratio of 23.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.55. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12-month low of $73.80 and a 12-month high of $148.15. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $83.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $100.98.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 34.81% and a return on equity of 84.68%. As a group, research analysts expect that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.7874 dividend. This is a positive change from Novo Nordisk A/S’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 1.2%. Novo Nordisk A/S’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.72%.

Novo Nordisk A/S Profile

Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease.