Fisher Asset Management LLC Acquires 466,745 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 21,162,724 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 466,745 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.68% of AstraZeneca worth $1,623,604,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 149.3% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 376.0% during the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares in the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 144.0% in the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on AZN shares. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 2.3%

AZN stock opened at $208.72 on Monday. 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. The stock has a market capitalization of $323.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.34, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $135.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $102.37.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio is currently 74.83%.

AstraZeneca Company 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.