AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Purchased by Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 69.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,892 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,876 shares during the quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $912,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 149.3% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in AstraZeneca in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 144.0% in the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 376.0% during the second quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AstraZeneca stock opened at $204.45 on Monday. AstraZeneca PLC has a fifty-two week low of $122.48 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $124.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $97.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $317.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is currently 74.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AZN. Wall Street Zen lowered AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

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.