Aberdeen Group plc Has $61.39 Million Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Aberdeen Group plc increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 0.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 800,217 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,633 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $61,393,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Fayez Sarofim & Co increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 173.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,032 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted 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 valued at $142,798,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961,764 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 15.2% during the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $850,255,000 after purchasing an additional 1,605,133 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in AstraZeneca by 64.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,373,000 after buying an additional 1,487,662 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new stake in AstraZeneca in the second quarter valued at approximately $96,936,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of AstraZeneca stock opened at $205.47 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.88. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $112.72 and a 200-day moving average of $93.06. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $122.48 and a 52-week high of $206.71. The stock has a market cap of $318.66 billion, a PE ratio of 68.26, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a $1.595 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 165.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

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.