Bessemer Group Inc. Decreases Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Bessemer Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 102,696 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,399 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $18,023,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Luken Investment Analytics LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 1,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $274,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,887 shares of the company’s stock valued at $507,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 3,358 shares of the company’s stock valued at $589,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. GRIMES & Co WEALTH MANAGEMENT LLC now owns 5,336 shares of the company’s stock valued at $936,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN opened at $181.62 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $192.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $182.04. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $136.16 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $281.67 billion, a PE ratio of 27.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The firm had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.93 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $205.33.

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.