AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $95.75.

AZN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AstraZeneca from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AZN stock opened at $96.34 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $91.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $82.50. AstraZeneca has a 12-month low of $61.24 and a 12-month high of $96.51. The firm has a market cap of $298.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $15.19 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.75 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 32.89%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.08 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AstraZeneca will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lantz Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $234,000. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. now owns 82,536 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,588,000 after buying an additional 521 shares in the last quarter. Cox Capital Mgt LLC increased its position in AstraZeneca by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Cox Capital Mgt LLC now owns 58,689 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,547,000 after acquiring an additional 858 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management increased its position in AstraZeneca by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 6,556 shares of the company’s stock valued at $603,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the period. Finally, Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,297 shares of the company’s stock valued at $855,000 after acquiring an additional 527 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

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.