Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Reduces Stake in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC reduced its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 67.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,429 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,064 shares during the quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $186,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Primecap Management Co. CA grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 1.3% during the second quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 41,200,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,879,062,000 after purchasing an additional 538,606 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,298,394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,488,332,000 after buying an additional 196,401 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 20,695,979 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,446,235,000 after acquiring an additional 530,520 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 15.2% in the 2nd 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 last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,046,992 shares of the company’s stock valued at $351,734,000 after acquiring an additional 104,625 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AZN shares. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, October 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 1.9%

AZN opened at $209.39 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $324.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 69.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. AstraZeneca PLC has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $211.27. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $117.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $94.95. 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 firm 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 yield of 165.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio is currently 74.83%.

About AstraZeneca

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.