IQVIA Holdings Inc.’s IQV expansion strategy is expected to boost its top line. The company is successful at navigating through the macroeconomic headwinds and maintaining strong relationships with partners. The collaboration with NVIDIA to boost AI integration positions IQVIA well for success. Its share repurchase program boosts the bottom line. However, the inability to pay dividends is a red flag for dividend-seeking investors. Low liquidity is an added concern.

IQV’s revenues are anticipated to increase 3.1% and 6.4% year over year in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Earnings are estimated to rise 6.6% in 2025 and 11.7% in 2026.

Factors That Auger Well for IQVIA’s Success

IQV’s addressable market size is nearly $330 billion, and it aims to expand and penetrate these markets by innovating and improving its offerings using its information, advanced analytics, transformative technology and significant domain expertise. The company’s top line increased 2.8% year over year in 2024, and we anticipate it to grow 3%, 6% and 6% in 2025, 2026 and 2027, respectively, if its expansion strategy becomes successful.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the management stated that the company’s performance was harmed by macroeconomic challenges. Despite the menacing macroeconomic conditions, the Research & Development Solutions business achieved significant feats in 2024. IQV renewed all its large pharma partnerships. The company established relationships, displaced incumbents and expanded the scope of work in many alliances, positioning IQVIA’s business for growth.

IQV secured 22 partnerships out of the top 25 pharma companies. IQV’s focus on strengthening existing partnerships and acquiring others despite macroeconomic headwinds positions it for sustained growth and market leadership in the future.

The recent collaboration with NVIDIA to transform healthcare and life sciences via advanced agentic AI solutions is a testament to IQVIA’s innovation-oriented success. AI can address lengthy and complex processes in clinical trials, assisting in diagnosis and augmenting treatment adherence by patients. This collaboration with NVIDIA will help boost the introduction of AI agents within workflows, with AI agents assisting researchers, healthcare professionals and patients.

IQV has demonstrated a strong commitment to returning value to its shareholders through an active share repurchase program. In 2024, the company repurchased shares worth $1.35 billion. This substantial buyback not only lowers the total outstanding share count and boosts earnings per share but also signals management's belief in the intrinsic value of the stock.

Risks Faced by IQV

Investors seeking cash dividends should avoid buying the IQVIA stock since it has no plan to pay cash dividends on common stock. Dividend payments in the future depend on factors such as the company's financial condition, cash requirements and contractual restrictions.

IQVIA’s current ratio (a measure of liquidity) at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 was pegged at 0.84, lower than the industry’s 1.93. A current ratio of less than 1 often indicates that a company may have problems paying off its short-term obligations, which has increased 3.7% sequentially in the fourth quarter.

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IQVIA’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

IQV has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader Zacks Business Services sector are AppLovin APP and Climb Global Solutions, Inc. CLMB, each flaunting a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

AppLovin has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 20%. APP delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 23.5%, on average.

Climb Global Solutions has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 12%. CLMB delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 59.3%, on average.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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