Amundi Sells 15,780 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Amundi cut its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 32.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,291 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,780 shares during the period. Amundi's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $2,150,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Albion Financial Group UT raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 68.9% in the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter worth $55,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter worth $55,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $55,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of AstraZeneca stock traded down $1.59 on Friday, hitting $74.93. 5,171,605 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,940,218. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $62.75 and a 12-month high of $87.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market cap of $232.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $72.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $72.19.

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AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share 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 expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a $1.03 dividend. This represents a yield of 2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is a boost from AstraZeneca's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Profile

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.