Sanders Capital LLC Has $1.17 Billion Stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Sanders Capital LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 0.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 14,974,391 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 29,149 shares during the quarter. AstraZeneca makes up about 1.7% of Sanders Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Sanders Capital LLC owned about 0.48% of AstraZeneca worth $1,166,655,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Martin Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.8% during the third quarter. Martin Investment Management LLC now owns 284,204 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,571,000 after purchasing an additional 7,615 shares during the period. Integrated Advisors Network LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 46.6% during the third quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 43,610 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,398,000 after purchasing an additional 13,860 shares during the period. Creative Planning increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 8.0% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 224,751 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,510,000 after purchasing an additional 16,692 shares during the period. Northcape Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the second quarter valued at $269,000. Finally, Cetera Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 124.5% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 98,262 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,657,000 after purchasing an additional 54,488 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised AstraZeneca from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Erste Group Bank raised AstraZeneca from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on AstraZeneca from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ AZN traded down $0.04 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $66.36. The stock had a trading volume of 4,282,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,327,350. The company has a market capitalization of $205.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.93. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $72.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $77.65. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $60.47 and a 52 week high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.03. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 30.01% and a net margin of 12.68%. The firm had revenue of $13.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.08 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.87 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.