Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC Increases Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 89.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 47,878 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 22,556 shares during the period. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $4,401,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Astrazeneca in the third quarter worth about $31,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 144.0% during the 3rd 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 during the period. Finally, Abound Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 1,767.9% during the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy (b)” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Shares of AZN opened at $197.20 on Wednesday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52-week low of $122.48 and a 52-week high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.94. The stock has a market cap of $305.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.32.

Astrazeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $1.595 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. Astrazeneca’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.26%.

About Astrazeneca

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.