JFrog stock rises as Cantor Fitzgerald maintains Overweight rating after strong Q2
On Friday, Citi updated its stance on Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN:SW) (NYSE: NVS), increasing the price target to CHF 97.00 from CHF 87.00 while maintaining a Neutral rating on the stock. The adjustment reflects an updated model that projects higher revenues for Novartis, acknowledging the positive prescription trends and potential market expansion for its drugs Scemblix and Kisqali.
The Citi analyst highlighted that the revised revenue forecasts, which show an increase of 2-8%, are driven by the performance and label expansion opportunities for Scemblix, used in treating chronic myeloid leukemia, and Kisqali, which is used in adjuvant breast cancer treatment. Despite the costs associated with royalty payments for Pluvicto and Kisqali, which are in the mid-teens to low-twenties and mid-single digits respectively, the firm expects Novartis to maintain its sales, general, and administrative (SG&A) discipline.
This financial discipline is anticipated to help the company manage the upcoming loss of exclusivity (LOE) for its heart failure drug Entresto, which is expected in 2026. Moreover, the analyst believes that Novartis is on track to achieve its 2027 margin guidance of 40%. Core EPS projections have been adjusted to reflect an increase ranging from 1% to 19%.
Despite the price target increase, Citi's neutral outlook on Novartis is based on the company's current price-to-earnings (PE) ratio. Novartis is trading at 15 times PE, compared to the sector average (excluding Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO)) of 13 times PE. Additionally, the projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for Novartis from 2024 to 2029 is estimated at 6%, which is slightly lower than the sector's expected 8%.
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