FourThought Financial Partners LLC Purchases 3,555 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

FourThought Financial Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 2.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 147,010 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,555 shares during the period. FourThought Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $11,279,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Primecap Management Co. CA lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.3% during the second quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 41,200,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,879,062,000 after buying an additional 538,606 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in AstraZeneca by 0.9% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,298,394 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,488,332,000 after acquiring an additional 196,401 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 21,162,724 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,623,604,000 after purchasing an additional 466,745 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,805,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,517,000 after purchasing an additional 582,183 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.1% during the 2nd 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. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.4%

NASDAQ AZN opened at $195.00 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $148.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $107.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $302.42 billion, a PE ratio of 64.78, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. AstraZeneca PLC has a fifty-two week low of $122.48 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. 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 firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on AZN. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC restated a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca 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.