Novartis Bets On Buybacks Due To Limited M&A Options

Unveils Another $15bn Share Repurchasing Program

18 Jul 2023

Chief financial officer Harry Kirsch has told reporters that decent bolt-on acquisition opportunities are rare and in their absence, buybacks represent a sensible use of capital.

Anyone expecting sizeable M&A activity from Novartis AG any time soon is going to be disappointed as the Swiss major has instead decided to dip into its considerable cash pile to launch another share buyback program worth up to $15bn.

Kicking off the reporting season with a strong second quarter of sales growth, Novartis said the buyback was scheduled to be completed by year-end 2025. The announcement comes a month after the completion of another $15bn buyback program, unveiled in December 2021; a total of 170.7 million shares were repurchased from then up to June 2023

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

Start your 7-day free trial
Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
Access comprehensive global coverage
Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

Biopharma Deals ROI Has Fallen And Market Instability Could Make It Worse

12 May 2025

• By Andrew McConaghie

Rising biotech valuations mean return on investment on some deals is non-existent for big pharma, though certain strategies will improve chances of success, a new analysis has found.

Dr Reddy’s Gears For Tariffs Scenario, To Ensure No US Supply Disruption

12 May 2025

• By Anju Ghangurde

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories preps for potential US tariffs, focusing on sustaining product supply and collaborating with customers on inventories. A recent US plant sale, the firm stressed, was unrelated to tariffs and underlines its openness to ‘make in the US’, where it launched 18 products in fiscal 2025.

Pharma Left Hanging After US/UK Trade Pact

09 May 2025

• By Kevin Grogan

An ‘historic economic prosperity deal’ does not include the sector.

Sanofi R&D Head’s Words Of Wisdom For Biotechs

08 May 2025

• By Kevin Grogan

Houman Ashrafian tells delegates at Swiss Biotech Day that ‘literally only two things matter in our industry – target credentialing and differentiated pharmacology. The rest is execution.’

Quick Listen: Scrip’s Five Must-Know Things

12 May 2025

• By Ian Haydock

In this week's episode: industry makes its case to Trump; Sarepta slammed by double blow; Chinese firms build obesity pipeline; Swiss biopharma staying strong; and Merck & Co looks to immunology and ophthalmology.