Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. decreased its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 76.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 20,180 shares of the company's stock after selling 66,990 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $1,322,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AZN. Albion Financial Group UT grew its position in AstraZeneca by 68.9% in the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 22.9% during the third quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 543,398 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 101,225 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares during the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new position in AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of brokerages have commented on AZN. UBS Group upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating on the stock. One 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.com, AstraZeneca currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $89.75.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on AZN
AstraZeneca Stock Down 3.9 %
Shares of NASDAQ AZN traded down $2.67 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $65.79. 12,963,126 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,174,603. The company has a market cap of $204.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.49. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $73.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.29. 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 one year low of $62.75 and a one year high of $87.68.
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 13.01%. On average, analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.
AstraZeneca Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This is a positive change from AstraZeneca's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. AstraZeneca's payout ratio is 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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