Advisors Preferred LLC Makes New Investment in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Advisors Preferred LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $356,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Fayez Sarofim & Co grew its position in 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 in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,798,000 after buying an additional 1,961,764 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 15.2% during the 2nd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $850,255,000 after acquiring an additional 1,605,133 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 64.8% in 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 acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the second quarter valued at about $96,936,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 2.0%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $204.45 on Monday. 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’s 50-day moving average is $124.40 and its 200-day moving average is $97.76. AstraZeneca PLC has a fifty-two week low of $122.48 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $317.09 billion, a PE ratio of 67.92, a P/E/G 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 74.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AZN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 target price 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 report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.