AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Receives $95.75 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and ten have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $95.75.

AZN has been the topic of several research reports. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AstraZeneca stock opened at $193.40 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $101.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $88.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $299.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $193.97.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.05. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 32.89%. The firm had revenue of $15.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.75 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.08 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AZN. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 111.6% in the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 35,148 shares in the last quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 96.2% in the 3rd quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 77,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,953,000 after buying an additional 38,043 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 191,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,156,000 after buying an additional 17,548 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 61.1% in the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 316,722 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,299,000 after buying an additional 120,064 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 50.6% during the third quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 41,565 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,067,000 after buying an additional 13,964 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the UK’s Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.