Wedbush Securities Inc. Acquires 2,565 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 11,192 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,565 shares during the quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $859,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 111.6% during the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 35,148 shares during the last quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC grew its position in AstraZeneca by 96.2% during the third quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 77,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,953,000 after buying an additional 38,043 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in AstraZeneca by 10.1% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 191,518 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,156,000 after acquiring an additional 17,548 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 61.1% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 316,722 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,299,000 after acquiring an additional 120,064 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 50.6% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 41,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,067,000 after acquiring an additional 13,964 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Monday, October 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of AZN opened at $205.47 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $112.72 and its 200 day moving average is $92.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $206.71. The company has a market capitalization of $318.66 billion, a PE ratio of 68.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

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