U.S. stocks movement: Novartis shares fall more than 2% pre-market as Q1 net sales decline year-on-year for the first time in two years

Golden Finance April 28th | Novartis (NVS.US) fell 2.37% in pre-market trading, at $140.77. According to reports, Novartis' first quarter 2026 profit came in lower than analysts' expectations and sales unexpectedly declined, as some of its best-selling drugs faced intense competition from generics. The financial report shows Novartis’ net sales for the first quarter were $13.113 billion, down 1% year-on-year, marking the first year-on-year decline in nearly two years. Core operating profit fell 12% year-on-year to $4.897 billion, missing analysts’ forecasts of $5.18 billion. Core earnings per share stood at $1.99, down 13% year-on-year. (Golden Finance)