MQS Management LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

MQS Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 47.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,855 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,541 shares during the quarter. MQS Management LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $219,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fayez Sarofim & Co increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the 2nd quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,764,000 after buying an additional 2,376,032 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,798,000 after acquiring an additional 1,961,764 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 15.2% during the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $850,255,000 after acquiring an additional 1,605,133 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 64.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,373,000 after acquiring an additional 1,487,662 shares during the period. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the second quarter worth about $96,936,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ AZN opened at $205.47 on Friday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1-year low of $122.48 and a 1-year high of $206.71. The company has a market capitalization of $318.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 68.26, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $112.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $92.82. 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 Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 165.0%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Monday, October 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.