Hamilton Wealth LLC Sells 3,269 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Hamilton Wealth LLC reduced its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 50.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,209 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,269 shares during the period. Hamilton Wealth LLC’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $633,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AZN. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Astrazeneca in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, May 4th. DZ Bank raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, June 26th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $211.00.

Astrazeneca Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:AZN opened at $169.77 on Monday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1 year low of $145.79 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $179.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $187.83. The stock has a market cap of $263.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.38, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The business had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.17 EPS. Astrazeneca’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Astrazeneca News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A combination with Bristol Myers Squibb could create a pharmaceutical company valued at approximately $400 billion, potentially ranking among the world’s largest drugmakers and providing greater scale, a broader product portfolio and possible cost synergies. AstraZeneca in talks with Bristol Myers Squibb on $400 billion megadeal
• Neutral Sentiment: The Financial Times reports that the companies have explored a deal in recent months, citing people familiar with the matter. The discussions may not result in a transaction, leaving the timing, structure and valuation uncertain. AstraZeneca holds talks with Bristol Myers Squibb on potential megadeal
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear concerned that AstraZeneca could need to pay a substantial premium, assume additional debt or issue shares to fund such a large transaction. Regulatory scrutiny, integration challenges and execution risks could also weigh on the stock. Reports indicated a potential one-day decline of about 7%, which would be the company’s steepest since the 2024 U.S. presidential election. AstraZeneca shares drop after report on merger talks
• Negative Sentiment: Separately, AstraZeneca has seen a significant increase in short interest, indicating greater bearish positioning and potentially adding pressure to the shares. AstraZeneca sees significant increase in short interest

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.