AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Position Cut by Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC

Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 98.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 449 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,750 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $29,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in AstraZeneca in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Albion Financial Group UT increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 68.9% in the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 22.9% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the third quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company's stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AstraZeneca stock traded up $0.75 on Friday, reaching $74.28. 2,326,890 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,190,886. The firm has a market cap of $230.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.46. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1-year low of $62.75 and a 1-year high of $87.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.93. The company's 50-day moving average is $68.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $73.30.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 13.01%. As a group, research analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $1.03 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 91.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on AZN shares. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $89.75.

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.