AstraZeneca Plc $AZN Holdings Lifted by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 0.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,052,004 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,417 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.13% of AstraZeneca worth $334,070,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Amundi boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 6.7% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 16,422,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,114,088,000 after buying an additional 1,036,635 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 889.9% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,319,947,000 after acquiring an additional 10,742,268 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 208.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,386,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,048,417,000 after acquiring an additional 7,021,126 shares during the last quarter. Rathbones Group PLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 106,772.0% during the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,560,419,000 after acquiring an additional 8,047,406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 546.1% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,667,812 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,315,026,000 after acquiring an additional 5,635,812 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.6%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $184.46 on Friday. AstraZeneca Plc has a twelve month low of $153.41 and a twelve month high of $212.71. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $168.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.21. The company has a market capitalization of $286.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $2.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.19. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 17.68% and a return on equity of 31.85%. The company had revenue of $16.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.38 EPS. AstraZeneca’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that AstraZeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on AZN shares. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Nordea Equity Research raised AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Zacks Research upgraded AstraZeneca from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. Finally, CICC Research began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $198.00 price target on the stock. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $206.67.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company discovers, develops and commercializes prescription medicines, with a focus on oncology, biopharmaceuticals and rare diseases. Its research and commercial operations serve patients and healthcare systems across more than 100 countries. AstraZeneca’s portfolio includes medicines for cancer, respiratory and immune-mediated conditions, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, and rare disorders.