Marshall Wace LLP Takes Position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 3,876,961 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $254,018,000. Marshall Wace LLP owned 0.13% of AstraZeneca at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AZN. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company's stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth $55,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of AZN traded up $0.49 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $67.54. The company had a trading volume of 3,796,013 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,234,555. The stock has a market cap of $209.47 billion, a PE ratio of 29.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.49. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $72.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.57. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1-year low of $61.24 and a 1-year high of $87.68. 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 (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st were issued a dividend of $1.03 per share. This is a positive change from AstraZeneca's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 2%. AstraZeneca's payout ratio is presently 91.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently 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. BNP Paribas began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $86.80.

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.