Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Sunday,Wall Street Zen reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Zacks Research cut Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered Astrazeneca from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Astrazeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $155.93 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $241.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.27. Astrazeneca has a 1-year low of $153.41 and a 1-year high of $212.71. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $161.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $176.56.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The company’s revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.17 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Astrazeneca will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Astrazeneca

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AZN. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 101.2% during the third quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 9,241 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,492,000 after purchasing an additional 4,647 shares in the last quarter. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 5.4% during the third quarter. Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,321 shares of the company’s stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Madson Wealth Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 3.9% during the third quarter. Madson Wealth Advisors Inc now owns 3,344 shares of the company’s stock valued at $540,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 37.6% in the third quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $329,000 after purchasing an additional 556 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 7.4% in the third quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 4,020 shares of the company’s stock valued at $638,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher FY2026 earnings estimate: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for AstraZeneca to $10.45 from $10.34, well above the broader consensus estimate of $9.36. The revision suggests improving confidence in the company’s earnings outlook. Erste Group Bank raises AstraZeneca FY2026 EPS estimate
• Positive Sentiment: Efzimfotase alfa could become a significant growth driver: Citi maintained its “buy” rating and £186 price target after Phase III HICKORY data for AstraZeneca’s rare-disease therapy. Citi estimates peak sales could reach approximately $4.4 billion—nearly twice its current base case—if the drug receives broad approval for adult patients with hypophosphatasia in the United States. AstraZeneca efzimfotase alfa sales potential
• Neutral Sentiment: ASBMR presentation provides additional pipeline information: AstraZeneca presented efzimfotase alfa data at the 2026 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research meeting. The presentation supports investor interest in the program, but commercial value remains dependent on regulatory approval, labeling and eventual market adoption. AstraZeneca ASBMR 2026 presentation transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Broker sentiment remains constructive: Wall Street brokerages rate AstraZeneca “Moderate Buy,” while a comparison with Vanda Pharmaceuticals does not introduce a material new company-specific catalyst. AstraZeneca Moderate Buy rating

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca PLC is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Its research, development and commercial operations focus on prescription medicines for serious and chronic diseases, with an emphasis on discovering and delivering innovative therapies rather than operating as a diversified healthcare conglomerate.

The company’s principal therapeutic areas include oncology; cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases; respiratory and immunological conditions; and rare diseases.