Looking at shares of Novartis Ag (NVS), we can see that the 7 day ADX signal is currently a Buy. This signal is typically used to gauge the market trend. The 7-day average directional strength is Soft. This trend strength indicator measures the signal based on historical performance where minimum would represent the weakest, and maximum would indicate the strongest. The 7-day ADX direction is currently Strengthening. This signal shows whether the Buy or Sell signal is getting stronger or weakening, or whether the Hold is heading towards a Buy or Sell.

Investors may be looking at all the different factors that come into play when searching for those next stocks to add to the portfolio. Maybe there are some names that have been on the radar, but the timing hasn’t been right to add them into the mix. As we get closer to the end of the year, investors may be looking back at individual stock performance over the past year. They may discover some great opportunities that weren’t available during the last review. Investors may also be keeping an eye on which sectors were the big winners during the latest earnings season. Branching out into new areas may help give the investor some alternative ideas for the next few quarters.

Investors may be interested in viewing some other important technical stock indicators for Novartis Ag (NVS). Investors are often focused on share price support and resistance levels. The support is simply a level where a stock may see a bounce after it has fallen. If the stock price manages to break through the first support level, the focus may shift to the second level of support. The resistance is the opposite of support. As a stock rises, it may see a retreat once it reaches a certain level of resistance. After a recent check, the stock’s first resistance level is 87.81, and the second resistance level is 87.98. On the other end, investors are keeping an eye on the first support level of 87.47, and the second support level of 87.3.

Checking in on the 20-Day Bollinger Bands signal, the current reading is Hold. This short-term indicator may be used to help spot oversold and overbought conditions. The current direction of the signal is Falling.

Turning the focus to earnings, we note that Novartis Ag (NVS), for the most recent period, posted quarterly EPS of 1.41. The trailing 12 month earnings number is currently 5.17. The company’s EPS growth over the previous quarter clocks in at 6.82%. The EPS metric is frequently used to measure a company’s profitability based on each outstanding share of common stock. When a company reports earnings results, the majority of the attention is on whether or not the EPS estimate is hit or missed. Wide gaps between estimates and actual reported figures may result in above normal stock price fluctuations after the earnings report.

Investing in the stock market will always involve some level of risk. Investors often have to determine how much they are willing to risk, and try to project what the potential reward could be. Taking on too much risk may put the average investor out of their comfort zone. Finding that sweet spot for risk appetite may help investors get on the correct path to conquering the markets. As companies continue to report quarterly earnings, investors will be watching which companies post larger than expected surprises. Analysts will also be watching the numbers closely in order to make sense of the results and update estimates accordingly.