AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Stock Holdings Increased by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 15.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 113,315 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,294 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $7,918,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 297.9% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 386 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 59.8% in the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Maseco LLP acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the first quarter worth approximately $37,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.5%

AZN opened at $82.23 on Thursday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1-year low of $61.24 and a 1-year high of $86.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $255.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.36. The business has a 50 day moving average of $81.06 and a 200-day moving average of $74.82.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.09. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.84% and a net margin of 14.68%.The company had revenue of $14.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.08 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.24 earnings per share. AstraZeneca’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 price objective on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Monday. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.00.

AstraZeneca Profile

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.