Community Trust & Investment Co. Trims Stock Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Community Trust & Investment Co. trimmed its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 2.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 223,907 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,732 shares during the period. Astrazeneca accounts for approximately 1.1% of Community Trust & Investment Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Community Trust & Investment Co.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $20,584,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 21.5% during the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 64,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,942,000 after acquiring an additional 11,398 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 20.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,089,612 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,595,000 after purchasing an additional 181,273 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 111.6% in the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 35,148 shares in the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank grew its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 20.4% during the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 42,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,298,000 after purchasing an additional 7,289 shares during the period. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 96.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 77,594 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,953,000 after purchasing an additional 38,043 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on AZN shares. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy (b)” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 price objective on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Astrazeneca stock opened at $184.27 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $285.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.32. Astrazeneca Plc has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $212.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. Astrazeneca’s payout ratio is presently 66.26%.

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.