AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $95.75.

AZN has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AZN. Arwa LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth $784,000. Kera Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $822,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hamilton Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Hamilton Wealth LLC now owns 6,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,137,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compound Planning Inc. increased its position in AstraZeneca by 29.3% during the 4th quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 42,583 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,473,000 after purchasing an additional 9,655 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ AZN opened at $208.72 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $135.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.20. The company has a market capitalization of $323.71 billion, a PE ratio of 69.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. AstraZeneca has a 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71. 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 Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.83%.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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.