10,000 Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Shares Acquired by Value Partners Investments Inc.

Value Partners Investments Inc. increased its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 17.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 68,251 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the quarter. Astrazeneca makes up approximately 0.8% of Value Partners Investments Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Value Partners Investments Inc.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $11,141,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Abel Hall LLC lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 108.8% during the 3rd quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 6,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,013,000 after purchasing an additional 3,270 shares during the period. Jackson Square Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the third quarter worth $6,224,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 22.1% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 7,765 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 1,408 shares during the period. Ariston Services Group purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at $222,000. Finally, Encompass More Asset Management grew its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 46.2% in the third quarter. Encompass More Asset Management now owns 2,167 shares of the company’s stock valued at $350,000 after purchasing an additional 685 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:AZN traded down $1.38 during trading on Monday, reaching $164.03. 2,322,055 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,812,117. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $162.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.70. The firm has a market cap of $254.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.27. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $153.41 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.89.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.17 earnings per share. Astrazeneca’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on AZN. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, October 11th. Finally, HSBC cut shares of Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Profile

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.