MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB Acquires Shares of 3,467 Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $657,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. IHT Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Astrazeneca by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,076,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors now owns 4,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $737,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Vista Investment Management grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 21,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,723,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the company’s stock valued at $595,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 1,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $274,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

NYSE:AZN opened at $161.41 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $250.34 billion, a PE ratio of 24.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.26. Astrazeneca Plc has a fifty-two week low of $145.79 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The company has a fifty day moving average of $177.32 and a two-hundred day moving average of $187.40.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.17 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on AZN shares. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $211.00.

Trending Headlines about Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A senior source told Reuters that AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb are not discussing a transaction, effectively quashing the merger rumor. Investors appear to view the clarification favorably because it removes uncertainty surrounding deal financing, valuation and integration risks. Reuters report on AstraZeneca-Bristol Myers deal discussions
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca rebounded after the reports denied Bristol Myers takeover speculation. The shares had suffered a roughly 9% single-day selloff when the merger story first emerged, making the subsequent recovery a relief rally as investors reassessed the company’s standalone prospects. AZN rebound after merger denial
• Positive Sentiment: Traders purchased a high volume of AstraZeneca call options, indicating increased speculative interest and expectations for additional near-term gains or volatility following the merger-related selloff. AstraZeneca call option activity
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca also entered a multi-year collaboration with SOPHiA GENETICS to develop companion diagnostics for two precision-oncology therapy programs. The agreement supports the company’s targeted-cancer strategy, although its immediate financial impact is unclear. SOPHiA GENETICS collaboration announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain divided on the strategic implications of the abandoned merger speculation. Citi said much of the deal-related risk was already reflected in AstraZeneca’s valuation, while other analysts compared the potential transaction with AstraZeneca’s earlier Alexion acquisition.
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of AstraZeneca investors. Such investor-alert announcements can add reputational and legal overhang, though no wrongdoing has been established. Pomerantz AstraZeneca investor alert

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.