AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Purchased by Wesbanco Bank Inc.

Wesbanco Bank Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 4.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 129,040 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 5,394 shares during the quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $9,900,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Primecap Management Co. CA boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 41,200,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,879,062,000 after acquiring an additional 538,606 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 0.9% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,298,394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,488,332,000 after purchasing an additional 196,401 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 2.6% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 20,695,979 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,446,235,000 after purchasing an additional 530,520 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 15.2% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $850,255,000 after purchasing an additional 1,605,133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 2.1% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,046,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,734,000 after purchasing an additional 104,625 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AstraZeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported full‑year 2025 revenue rose ~8% to $58.7B with product sales up ~9%; company cites sustained pipeline delivery underpinning growth. AstraZeneca lifts earnings as pipeline delivery and global expansion underpin growth
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 came in slightly ahead of consensus (Q4 revenue ≈ $15.5B) with cancer drugs highlighted as key drivers of the beat. AstraZeneca rises as cancer drugs power Q4 beat
• Positive Sentiment: Company forecasts 2026 revenue growth in the mid‑to‑high single digits and core EPS growth in the low‑double digits, driven by cancer and cardiovascular franchises and expansion in the U.S. and China. Drugmaker AstraZeneca forecasts sales and profit growth in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Management says growth is progressing toward its long‑term ~$80B target, signaling continued strategic execution but leaving timing uncertainty. AstraZeneca delivers continued growth toward $80 billion target
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and company commentary flagged cost and margin pressures that could temper near‑term profitability despite revenue growth. AstraZeneca’s growth engine stays on track despite cost pressures
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation is elevated (background P/E ~62.6), which can prompt profit‑taking or greater sensitivity to any guidance/margin misses. AstraZeneca Forecasts Continued Growth on Pipeline Strength

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $188.40 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $193.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $292.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.59, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $103.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $89.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on AZN shares. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

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.