Russell Investments Group Ltd. Has $66.19 Million Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 863,272 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,280 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $66,187,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AZN. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in AstraZeneca during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 144.0% in the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the period. Finally, Abound Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 1,767.9% in the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 495 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Citigroup began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $195.08 on Wednesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The business’s 50-day moving average is $150.81 and its 200-day moving average is $108.23. The company has a market capitalization of $302.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is 66.26%.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led 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’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.