AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the eleven research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $95.75.

AZN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Citigroup began coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st.

Key AstraZeneca News

Here are the key news stories impacting AstraZeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Deal strengthens obesity pipeline — AstraZeneca struck an eight-program deal with China’s CSPC for a once‑monthly injectable weight-management program, which could accelerate its obesity franchise and long-term growth prospects. AZN Obesity Pipeline to Get a Boost From Deal With China’s CSPC
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile endorsement — CNBC’s Jim Cramer publicly said he likes AstraZeneca, which can provide short-term sentiment support among retail investors. Jim Cramer says “I like AstraZeneca very much”
• Positive Sentiment: NYSE listing / harmonized U.S. trading — AstraZeneca began direct trading on the NYSE (ending the ADS program), simplifying U.S. ownership and potentially boosting liquidity and investor access. AstraZeneca begins trading directly on the NYSE
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings cadence — The company is expected to report results soon; investors will focus on revenue growth and guidance for clarity on near-term momentum. AstraZeneca (AZN) Expected to Announce Earnings on Tuesday
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears unreliable — recent reports show zero shares/NaN changes and a 0.0 days-to-cover metric, indicating a data glitch rather than actionable market pressure.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary explaining the pullback — Coverage notes AstraZeneca fell more than the broader market today, providing context for the move. Why Astrazeneca (AZN) Dipped More Than Broader Market Today
• Negative Sentiment: FDA issued a complete response letter (CRL) on Saphnelo’s BLA — the CRL is a material regulatory setback that delays potential U.S. approval and near-term revenue from this asset. FDA issues CRL on AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo BLA
• Negative Sentiment: Initial U.S. application for a lupus injection was turned down — AstraZeneca is working with the FDA and plans an updated submission, but this prolongs the approval timeline and creates near-term uncertainty for the program. AstraZeneca’s Initial Application for Lupus Injection Turned Down by FDA

AstraZeneca Trading Down 2.0%

AZN stock opened at $184.64 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca has a twelve month low of $61.24 and a twelve month high of $192.79. The company has a market cap of $572.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.34, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The business has a fifty day moving average of $96.05 and a 200-day moving average of $86.13.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $15.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.75 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 32.89%. The company’s revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.08 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that AstraZeneca will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 344.6% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,478,114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,841,000 after buying an additional 2,695,793 shares during the period. Fayez Sarofim & Co lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the 2nd quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,764,000 after acquiring an additional 2,376,032 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,798,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961,764 shares during the period. Holocene Advisors LP increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 41.8% during the 3rd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 6,129,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $470,232,000 after purchasing an additional 1,807,565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 15.2% in the 2nd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $850,255,000 after purchasing an additional 1,605,133 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the UK’s Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.