Natixis Advisors LLC Buys 262,465 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Natixis Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,100,390 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 262,465 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.07% of AstraZeneca worth $161,142,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Fayez Sarofim & Co boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the second quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,032 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,798,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961,764 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its position in AstraZeneca by 64.8% in the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,373,000 after acquiring an additional 1,487,662 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $96,936,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 27.8% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,824,072 shares of the company’s stock valued at $370,103,000 after buying an additional 1,048,738 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AZN stock opened at $194.44 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $146.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $301.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.60, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $212.71.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio is currently 66.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on AZN shares. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

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.