Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Acquires 39,625 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 39,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,398,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 6.7% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 16,422,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,114,088,000 after purchasing an additional 1,036,635 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 889.9% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,319,947,000 after purchasing an additional 10,742,268 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 208.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,386,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,048,417,000 after acquiring an additional 7,021,126 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in Astrazeneca by 106,772.0% during the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,560,419,000 after purchasing an additional 8,047,406 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Astrazeneca by 546.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,667,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,315,026,000 after acquiring an additional 5,635,812 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $165.23 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $162.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $176.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $256.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.70, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.27. 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 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.17 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.38 EPS for the current year.

Astrazeneca News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI partnership expands pipeline potential: AstraZeneca agreed to collaborate with insitro on machine-learning-based drug discovery for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and cardiomyopathies. The deal could be worth up to $1.5 billion, including upfront and milestone payments plus royalties, giving AstraZeneca access to new potential therapies while spreading early-stage research risk. AstraZeneca Enters AI Drug Discovery Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: RBC Capital Markets reiterated its “outperform” rating and 14,500-pence target, forecasting third-quarter revenue and core EPS modestly above consensus ahead of AstraZeneca’s October 30 results. Citi also raised its target to £186. RBC Keeps AstraZeneca at Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Potentially attractive valuation: A market commentary highlighted that AZN has declined more than 8% this year even though operating performance has remained relatively resilient. The article points to a forward price-to-earnings multiple of about 14.6 times as a possible long-term buying opportunity. AstraZeneca Valuation Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity surged: Investors purchased 49,737 call options, more than 14 times typical volume. This may signal bullish positioning, but options activity alone does not establish a fundamental change in the company’s outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst signal: Zacks Research upgraded AstraZeneca from “strong sell” to “hold,” indicating reduced pessimism but not a bullish recommendation. AZN is also being monitored for breast-cancer sales growth, expanded approvals and clinical milestones.
• Negative Sentiment: Underperformance remains an overhang: AstraZeneca continues to lag the broader market, and investors may be waiting for upcoming earnings and the AVANZAR lung-cancer trial before assigning greater value to its pipeline.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZN has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Nordea Equity Research raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research raised Astrazeneca from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $206.67.

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.