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IQVIA (IQV) Appreciates 24% in a Year: Here's What to Know

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IQVIA Holdings Inc.’s (IQV - Free Report) shares have had an impressive run over the past year. The stock has gained 24.4%, significantly outperforming the 9.7% rally of the industry it belongs to.

IQV reported better-than-expected earnings in the past four quarters, driven by revenue growth and disciplined cost management. Its earnings surpassed the Zacks consensus estimate in all the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 1.5%.

The demand environment remains healthy across all its segments, contributing to a 3.5% year-over-year increase in revenues in the fourth quarter of 2023. The company’s combined offerings of research and development and commercial services have been helping it to develop trusted relationships, resulting in a diversified base of more than 10,000 clients in over 100 countries.

The company has a huge collection of healthcare information that encompasses more than 1 billion comprehensive, longitudinal, non-identified patient records across sales, prescription and promotional data, electronic medical records, medical claims, genomics and social media. This enormous treasure trove of information is a distinguishing asset and a big barrier to entry for competitors.

IQVIA has a consistent record of share repurchases. In 2023, 2022 and 2021, the company repurchased shares worth $992 million, $1.17 billion and $406 million, respectively. Such moves not only instill investors’ confidence but also positively impact earnings per share.

Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

IQVIA currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

A couple of better-ranked stocks are APi Group (APG - Free Report) and Charles River Associates (CRAI - Free Report) .

APi Group flaunts a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

APG has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 17.9%. It delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.1%, on average.

Charles River Associates carries a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) at present. It has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 16%.

CRAI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.1%, on average.


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Charles River Associates (CRAI) - free report >>

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