Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB Sells 10,895 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lowered its stake in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 14.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 66,237 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,895 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $5,082,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. First Affirmative Financial Network grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 10.3% in the third quarter. First Affirmative Financial Network now owns 12,685 shares of the company’s stock worth $973,000 after acquiring an additional 1,181 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 20,191 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,549,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 17,195 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,319,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. Abel Hall LLC raised its holdings in Astrazeneca by 4.1% in the third quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 5,682 shares of the company’s stock worth $436,000 after buying an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Astrazeneca in the third quarter worth about $122,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $188.42 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $292.22 billion, a PE ratio of 28.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.32. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52 week low of $122.48 and a 52 week high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca’s dividend payout ratio is 66.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on AZN shares. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They set a “buy (b)” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, HSBC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

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.