CENTRAL TRUST Co Makes New Investment in AstraZeneca Plc $AZN

CENTRAL TRUST Co acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 5,650 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $912,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the third quarter valued at $30,000. GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the third quarter worth $31,000. Lynch Investment Planning LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of AZN stock opened at $184.66 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $286.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company has a 50 day moving average of $168.82 and a 200-day moving average of $180.20. AstraZeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $153.41 and a 12-month high of $212.71.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AZN. Wall Street Zen raised AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. CICC Research began coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Sunday, August 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $198.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $206.67.

AstraZeneca Company 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.