Novartis AG · NVS · FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026
Novartis raises profit outlook as priority brands drive Q3 growth
The supplied analysis supports a constructive but qualified view: resilient demand for priority brands and productivity gains improved the near-term trajectory, while generic erosion, biosimilar competition and pipeline setbacks remain material offsets.
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensusMarket reaction
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Transcript intelligence
What changed
Versus the prior-quarter analysis, management reported stronger Q3 growth, expanded core margin and raised full-year core operating income guidance. The quarter also added a $1.9 billion partial impairment for delgociptacine and further regulatory and pipeline updates.
Guidance delta
Management raised full-year 2026 core operating income guidance while reaffirming its sales-growth outlook.
Key takeaways
- Q3 sales grew 4% and core operating income rose 10%, according to the supplied call analysis.
- Kisqali, Kesimpta, Leqvio and Pluvicto were identified as key growth contributors, with Kisqali and Leqvio showing especially strong momentum.
- Pipeline progress included remibrutinib data, approvals for Rhapsido and Pluvicto, and additional late-stage readouts.
- A $1.9 billion partial impairment tied to delgociptacine highlights development and execution risk despite the confident tone.
Management priorities
- Expand priority brands across geographies and indications.
- Use SG&A productivity to support margin expansion, including the stated goal of exceeding 40% core margin by 2029.
- Advance late-stage pipeline programs and regulatory submissions.
- Maintain disciplined capital allocation alongside strategic acquisitions and the share-buyback program.
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Analyst 52W Price Targets
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted current price from FN2's market snapshot as of Oct 27, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC | Hold | Reduce | Upgrade | Sep 10, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Mar 26, 2026 |
| Barclays | Equal Weight | Underweight | Upgrade | Jan 6, 2026 |
| JP Morgan | Overweight | Neutral | Upgrade | Dec 8, 2025 |
| Goldman Sachs | Sell | Neutral | Downgrade | Sep 12, 2025 |
| UBS | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Feb 13, 2025 |
| Erste Group | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Nov 19, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Oct 30, 2024 |
| B of A Securities | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Sep 11, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Sep 3, 2024 |
| Wolfe Research | Peer Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | May 9, 2022 |
| Exane BNP Paribas | Neutral | Outperform | Downgrade | Dec 6, 2021 |
| Bryan Garnier | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Dec 3, 2021 |
| Deutsche Bank | Sell | Hold | Downgrade | Sep 20, 2021 |
| Argus Research | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Mar 10, 2021 |
| Cowen & Co. | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Feb 1, 2021 |
| Guggenheim Securities | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Feb 25, 2020 |
| Guggenheim | Neutral | Buy | Downgrade | Feb 25, 2020 |
| Citigroup | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Sep 11, 2018 |
| Bank of America | Buy | Underperform | Upgrade | Sep 10, 2018 |
| Credit Suisse | Neutral | Underperform | Upgrade | May 25, 2018 |
| Argus | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | May 5, 2018 |
| Leerink Swann | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Jan 25, 2018 |
| Natixis | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Mar 4, 2015 |
| Hamburger Sparkasse | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | Jan 16, 2013 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted current price $155.33. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley | Thibault Boutherin | $156 | $140.85 | +0.4% | Oct 6, 2026 |
| HSBC | Analyst unavailable | $136 | $137.48 | -12.4% | Sep 10, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Thibault Boutherin | $170 | $149.7 | +9.4% | Mar 26, 2026 |
| HSBC | Analyst unavailable | $112 | $131.01 | -27.9% | Dec 10, 2025 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $143 | $132.28 | -7.9% | Dec 3, 2025 |
| CFRA | Wan Nurhayati | $126 | $123.33 | -18.9% | Oct 29, 2025 |
| BMO Capital | Etzer Darout | $120 | $109.91 | -22.7% | Oct 30, 2024 |
| Goldman Sachs | James Quigley | $121 | $119.38 | -22.1% | Sep 5, 2024 |
| BMO Capital | Etzer Darout | $118 | $106.13 | -24.0% | Jul 19, 2024 |
| CFRA | Wan Nurhayati | $108 | $97.27 | -30.5% | Apr 23, 2024 |
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Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationNovartis AG is a holding company, which engages in the business of developing, manufacturing, and marketing healthcare products. Its product portfolio is heavily focused on innovative prescription medicines, especially oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular diseases, supplemented by established older brands and a wide range of specialized therapies. The company was founded on February 29, 1996 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
Historical context
All NVS earningsHealthcare peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RGEN Repligen Corporation | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | — | -2.2% | Repligen posts record Q3 revenue and raises 2026 guidance |
| RDY Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited | FY2027 Q2 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +24.0% | -0.2% | Dr. Reddy’s: margins improve as semaglutide rollout advances |
| DGX Quest Diagnostics Incorporated | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +4.5% | +1.8% | Quest Diagnostics: growth broadens, but PAMA remains a headwind |
| ARGX argenx SE | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | — | -1.6% | argenx: VYVGART momentum and a broader late-stage pipeline |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- VZFY2026 Q3 · October 26, 2026+3.1% EPS-3.5% move
- CXFY2026 Q3 · October 26, 2026+12.0% EPS-0.1% move
- CDNSFY2026 Q3 · October 26, 2026+2.9% EPS+1.8% move
- BAHFY2027 Q2 · October 23, 2026+18.9% EPS-0.3% move
- FCNCAFY2026 Q3 · October 23, 2026+19.9% EPS+8.2% move
- FCNCNFY2026 Q3 · October 23, 2026+19.9% EPS+0.2% move
Missed on EPS
- KOFFY2026 Q3 · October 26, 2026-9.0% EPS-1.9% move
- INFYFY2027 Q2 · October 23, 2026-4.8% EPS-6.6% move
- BBDFY2026 Q3 · October 22, 2026-7.7% EPS+3.0% move
- SNAFY2026 Q3 · October 22, 2026-5.9% EPS-3.4% move
- SPOTFY2026 Q3 · October 22, 2026-11.6% EPS+11.1% move
- VRSNFY2026 Q3 · October 22, 2026-2.0% EPS-0.9% move
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Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-10-27T15:05:56.357667+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-10-27T01:23:15.065758+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-10-27T15:10:46.251860+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-10-27T15:10:46.249248+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-10-27. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.