First Trust Advisors LP Raises Holdings in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)

First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY - Free Report) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 895,324 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 44,027 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in Sanofi were worth $43,181,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Forum Financial Management LP raised its holdings in Sanofi by 76.1% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 66,827 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,223,000 after buying an additional 28,879 shares during the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sanofi by 56.4% in the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 15,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $736,000 after acquiring an additional 5,500 shares during the period. Callodine Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Sanofi by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. Callodine Capital Management LP now owns 384,189 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,529,000 after acquiring an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Sanofi during the fourth quarter worth about $482,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Sanofi by 19.3% in the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 36,796 shares of the company's stock worth $1,775,000 after purchasing an additional 5,958 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 14.04% of the company's stock.

Sanofi Price Performance

Shares of SNY stock opened at $53.02 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market cap of $133.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.29, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.57. The business's fifty day moving average is $54.58 and its 200 day moving average is $52.12. Sanofi has a twelve month low of $45.80 and a twelve month high of $60.12.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.70. Sanofi had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 25.61%. Research analysts expect that Sanofi will post 4.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sanofi Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $2.0369 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is an increase from Sanofi's previous annual dividend of $1.48. Sanofi's dividend payout ratio is presently 64.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on SNY. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Sanofi in a report on Friday, March 21st. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $65.00 price objective for the company. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Sanofi in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $65.00 price target on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Sanofi to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Sanofi from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.33.

About Sanofi

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.

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