Erste Group Bank Lowers Earnings Estimates for Astrazeneca

Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank decreased their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Astrazeneca in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 12th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the company will earn $10.17 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $10.25. The consensus estimate for Astrazeneca’s current full-year earnings is $10.26 per share.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The business had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.93 billion.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They set a “buy (b)” rating on the stock. Barclays upgraded Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Astrazeneca stock opened at $183.97 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $192.18 and its 200 day moving average is $182.29. Astrazeneca has a one year low of $137.23 and a one year high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $285.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 11,690 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 54.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 10,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $731,000 after purchasing an additional 3,618 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 898.4% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 33,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,339,000 after purchasing an additional 30,125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.2% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 46,642 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,259,000 after purchasing an additional 559 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo won FDA approval for Enhertu in two additional early HER2-positive breast cancer settings, broadening the drug’s use in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment and strengthening AZN’s oncology pipeline. AZN, Daiichi’s Enhertu Gets FDA Nod for Two New Breast Cancer Settings
• Positive Sentiment: Baxfendy (baxdrostat) was approved as the first aldosterone synthase inhibitor for adults with uncontrolled hypertension, giving AstraZeneca a first-in-class cardiovascular drug with blockbuster potential. AstraZeneca’s blood pressure drug wins U.S. approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and media coverage note the approvals could raise questions about valuation, since much of the optimism may now be tied to how quickly AZN can convert these launches into meaningful sales growth. AstraZeneca’s New FDA Wins Raise Questions On Growth And Valuation

Astrazeneca Company Profile

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.