Diadema Partners LP Acquires New Stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Diadema Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 30,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,966,000. AstraZeneca accounts for 0.8% of Diadema Partners LP's portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth $254,018,000. Boston Partners boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 9,985.6% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,707,479 shares of the company's stock valued at $243,444,000 after buying an additional 3,670,719 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $158,018,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 8.7% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 19,122,675 shares of the company's stock worth $1,492,649,000 after buying an additional 1,522,715 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 65.1% in the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,101,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $203,179,000 after acquiring an additional 1,222,669 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AZN traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $69.57. 6,662,575 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,181,905. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1 year low of $61.24 and a 1 year high of $87.68. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $72.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $70.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $215.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.49.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. Analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a $1.03 dividend. This represents a yield of 2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This is a boost from AstraZeneca's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. AstraZeneca's payout ratio is 91.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating on the stock. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $86.80.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.