Martin Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 308,489 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 24,285 shares during the quarter. AstraZeneca makes up approximately 5.6% of Martin Investment Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Martin Investment Management LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $20,575,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. OneAscent Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $232,000. Cinctive Capital Management LP grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 88.4% during the 4th quarter. Cinctive Capital Management LP now owns 84,653 shares of the company's stock worth $5,546,000 after buying an additional 39,718 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 30,759 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,015,000 after acquiring an additional 2,158 shares during the last quarter. Potomac Fund Management Inc. ADV purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,098,000. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at about $296,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating for the company. UBS Group upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $89.75.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca Price Performance
AZN traded down $3.98 during trading on Monday, hitting $64.48. The company's stock had a trading volume of 7,694,785 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,154,204. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $199.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.49. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $73.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $71.38. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $62.75 and a 12 month high of $87.68.
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
AstraZeneca Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a yield of 2%. This is a boost from AstraZeneca's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio is currently 91.15%.
AstraZeneca Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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