Central Pacific Bank Trust Division Makes New Investment in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 5,179 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $982,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IHT Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,076,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors now owns 4,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $737,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Vista Investment Management raised its stake in Astrazeneca by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 21,215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,723,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $595,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 1,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $274,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Astrazeneca News

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A senior source told Reuters that AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb are not discussing a transaction, effectively quashing the merger rumor. Investors appear to view the clarification favorably because it removes uncertainty surrounding deal financing, valuation and integration risks. Reuters report on AstraZeneca-Bristol Myers deal discussions
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca rebounded after the reports denied Bristol Myers takeover speculation. The shares had suffered a roughly 9% single-day selloff when the merger story first emerged, making the subsequent recovery a relief rally as investors reassessed the company’s standalone prospects. AZN rebound after merger denial
• Positive Sentiment: Traders purchased a high volume of AstraZeneca call options, indicating increased speculative interest and expectations for additional near-term gains or volatility following the merger-related selloff. AstraZeneca call option activity
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca also entered a multi-year collaboration with SOPHiA GENETICS to develop companion diagnostics for two precision-oncology therapy programs. The agreement supports the company’s targeted-cancer strategy, although its immediate financial impact is unclear. SOPHiA GENETICS collaboration announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain divided on the strategic implications of the abandoned merger speculation. Citi said much of the deal-related risk was already reflected in AstraZeneca’s valuation, while other analysts compared the potential transaction with AstraZeneca’s earlier Alexion acquisition.
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of AstraZeneca investors. Such investor-alert announcements can add reputational and legal overhang, though no wrongdoing has been established. Pomerantz AstraZeneca investor alert

Astrazeneca Trading Up 3.7%

NYSE AZN opened at $161.41 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $250.34 billion, a PE ratio of 24.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.26. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $177.32 and its 200 day moving average is $187.40. Astrazeneca Plc has a twelve month low of $145.79 and a twelve month high of $212.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The business had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.17 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Wall Street Zen cut Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, April 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $211.00.

Astrazeneca Profile

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.