AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as £151.98 and last traded at £150.74, with a volume of 2093291 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at £151.23.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a £170 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on shares of AstraZeneca from £145 to £160 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a £150 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Shore Capital Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of £145.83.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.93. The business’s 50-day moving average is £138.67 and its 200-day moving average is £128.92. The company has a market capitalization of £233.69 billion, a PE ratio of 25.04, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17.

Insider Activity at AstraZeneca

In related news, insider Nazneen Rahman sold 297 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of £134.96, for a total transaction of £40,083.12. 0.15% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.
Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.