AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as £143.84 and last traded at £143.64, with a volume of 88727141 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at £140.08.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a £150 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Monday, November 10th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a £145 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of AstraZeneca from £142 to £145 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of £138.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83. The firm has a market capitalization of £222.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is £136.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is £123.09.

Insider Buying and Selling at AstraZeneca

In related news, insider Nazneen Rahman sold 297 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of £134.96, for a total transaction of £40,083.12. 0.14% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.
Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.