AstraZeneca Plc $AZN Stock: Sanders Capital LLC Boosts Stake

Sanders Capital LLC increased its holdings in AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 0.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,989,827 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,997 shares during the period. Sanders Capital LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $1,128,647,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AZN. Kestra Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 51,760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,358,000 after acquiring an additional 6,043 shares during the last quarter. Claro Advisors Inc. raised its position in AstraZeneca by 5.2% during the third quarter. Claro Advisors Inc. now owns 1,247 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 108,364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,498,000 after purchasing an additional 2,536 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Dimensions Group Ltd. now owns 2,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $338,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verity Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $243,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AZN shares. Wall Street Zen raised AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 31st. HSBC lowered shares of AstraZeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Nordea Equity Research upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $206.67.

AstraZeneca Trading Down 0.1%

AZN traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $186.62. 2,846,843 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,117,912. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $166.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $180.22. AstraZeneca Plc has a 52-week low of $153.41 and a 52-week high of $212.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $289.43 billion, a PE ratio of 26.40, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.24.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $2.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.19. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 31.85% and a net margin of 17.68%. The business had revenue of $16.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.38 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AstraZeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company discovers, develops and commercializes prescription medicines, with a focus on oncology, biopharmaceuticals and rare diseases. Its research and commercial operations serve patients and healthcare systems across more than 100 countries.

AstraZeneca’s portfolio includes medicines for cancer, respiratory and immune-mediated conditions, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, and rare disorders.