NVS Stock — Novartis AG

Novartis AG (NVS)

Updated October 16, 2026.

NVS is a Stock. its distribution rate is 3.17%, its trailing-12-month yield is 3.17%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 95/100 (Safe). Total return is 1363.2% over the past 29.9 years, 285.1 points behind SPY at 1648.3%.

Novartis AG is a Swiss pharmaceutical company that researches, develops, and markets medicines across therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, immunology, oncology, and hematology, with a portfolio that includes treatments for heart failure, cancer, psoriasis, and rare genetic diseases. The company currently offers a modest distribution rate with annual distributions. Novartis appeals to income-focused investors seeking exposure to large-cap pharmaceutical equities with established dividend histories.

NVS performance versus SPY

Price and return data through 2026-10-16.

Total return is 1363.2% over the past 29.9 years, 285.1 points behind SPY at 1648.3%. Over the past year its total return — price change plus distributions reinvested — is 18.7%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 16.2%.

NVS key facts

Distribution Safety Score™

95 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

3.01%

Asset type

Stock

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

11/07/1996

Distribution rate

3.17%

Distribution frequency

Annual

Trailing yield

3.17%

5-year average yield

3.47

Last close

$150.62 (stale; as of 2026-10-16)

Market cap

$286,285,669,201

Average volume

1728800.0

Dividend

$4.773

Ex-dividend date

03/11/2026

Payment date

03/16/2026

Beta

0.468

Payout ratio

57.2%

P/E ratio

22.75

Forward P/E

14.7059

EPS

$6.62

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (3.17%) uses calculation basis unavailable. Issuer rates can use a different denominator and date, including ex-date NAV. Trailing-12-month yield (3.17%) is the sum of split-adjusted cash distributions with ex-dates in the last 12 months, divided by the published price. It lags a recent raise or cut. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss.

Yield and safety methodology · Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology

Sources and review

Primary sources: prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

NVS risks and drawbacks

NVS's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are annual, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 16.2%.

Who may consider NVS — and who may not

NVS may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score, moderate current income with a quality tilt. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (NVS pays annual); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields; investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

More on NVS

• All tickers starting with N

Tagged: Pharmaceutical, Dividend.

Frequently asked questions