AstraZeneca Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:AZN)

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Traders bought 167,020 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 3,235% compared to the typical volume of 5,008 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on AZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AstraZeneca has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.0%

NASDAQ AZN opened at $208.76 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $122.11 and its 200-day moving average is $96.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69. AstraZeneca has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $323.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 69.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a $1.595 dividend. This represents a yield of 153.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.83%.

Institutional Trading of AstraZeneca

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at about $44,000. Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Nemes Rush Group LLC grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 162.1% in the fourth quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, South Plains Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.