Andra AP fonden Makes New $46.60 Million Investment in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Andra AP fonden bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 236,302 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $46,603,000. Astrazeneca comprises 0.6% of Andra AP fonden’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Swiss National Bank bought a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 1st quarter worth about $1,202,714,000. SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the first quarter worth approximately $1,157,593,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 546.1% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,667,812 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,315,026,000 after purchasing an additional 5,635,812 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 552.9% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,547,597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $973,603,000 after purchasing an additional 4,697,895 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 4,529.1% during the first quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 3,783,927 shares of the company’s stock valued at $747,099,000 after purchasing an additional 3,702,185 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

AZN stock opened at $164.14 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $181.80 and its 200-day moving average is $188.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market cap of $254.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.24. Astrazeneca Plc has a twelve month low of $137.23 and a twelve month high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%. Equities research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $211.00.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.