Pinkerton Wealth LLC Increases Stock Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Pinkerton Wealth LLC grew its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 70,802 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,957 shares during the quarter. Pinkerton Wealth LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $5,432,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the third quarter worth $31,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 144.0% in the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the second quarter valued at $33,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the second quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the period. Finally, Abound Wealth Management boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 1,767.9% in the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on AZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AZN opened at $195.00 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $122.48 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $302.42 billion, a PE ratio of 64.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $148.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $107.42.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

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

AstraZeneca Profile

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.