Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 0.7%

NYSE:AZN opened at $192.05 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $297.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.32, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.32. Astrazeneca has a twelve month low of $122.48 and a twelve month high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.72.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.26%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 552.9% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,547,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $973,603,000 after purchasing an additional 4,697,895 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Astrazeneca by 344.6% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,478,114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,841,000 after buying an additional 2,695,793 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 65.3% in the fourth quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 6,154,760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,080,160,000 after buying an additional 2,431,890 shares during the last quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co boosted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 173.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,764,000 after acquiring an additional 2,376,032 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 41.8% during the 3rd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 6,129,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $470,232,000 after acquiring an additional 1,807,565 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Astrazeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.