Amgen Inc. $AMGN Shares Sold by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. trimmed its holdings in shares of Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 352,483 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 10,502 shares during the period. Amgen makes up about 0.7% of Candriam S.C.A.’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Candriam S.C.A. owned about 0.07% of Amgen worth $149,118,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. American State Bank Iowa grew its holdings in Amgen by 2.4% during the third quarter. American State Bank Iowa now owns 7,574 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $3,193,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the period. Cullinan Associates Inc. raised its position in Amgen by 5.2% during the third quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 25,561 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $10,774,000 after acquiring an additional 1,273 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. raised its position in Amgen by 3.0% during the third quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 57,863 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $24,390,000 after acquiring an additional 1,679 shares in the last quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS lifted its holdings in Amgen by 1.4% in the third quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 20,672 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $8,713,000 after acquiring an additional 276 shares during the period. Finally, Verus Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Amgen by 31.7% in the third quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $701,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. 76.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Amgen Stock Up 0.0%

NASDAQ AMGN opened at $460.42 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $422.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $378.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.60, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.48. The company has a market cap of $249.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.71, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.43. Amgen Inc. has a one year low of $312.39 and a one year high of $483.99.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical research company reported $6.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.79 by $0.66. The company had revenue of $10.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.07 billion. Amgen had a net margin of 24.14% and a return on equity of 114.99%. Amgen’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.64 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Amgen Inc. will post 23.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Amgen Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Investors of record on Friday, November 20th will be issued a $2.52 dividend. This represents a $10.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 20th. Amgen’s payout ratio is 58.47%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Rachna Khosla sold 1,252 shares of Amgen stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $416.43, for a total value of $521,370.36. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 6,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,666,817.72. This trade represents a 16.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.85% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AMGN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Amgen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 18th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Amgen from $359.00 to $410.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Amgen from $440.00 to $465.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Amgen from $450.00 to $415.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Amgen from $430.00 to $470.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $420.80.

Key Stories Impacting Amgen

Here are the key news stories impacting Amgen this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Amgen reported quarterly earnings and revenue above expectations, with revenue up 8.5% year over year. Its earnings-call discussion also emphasized growth and pipeline momentum, supporting the case for continued expansion. Amgen Earnings Call Highlights Growth, Pipeline Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: A large real-world study found Repatha lowered heart-attack risk by 20% versus ezetimibe in patients with heart disease. The findings could strengthen the drug’s clinical and commercial position. Repatha real-world study
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank reiterated a Buy view and set a $530 price target; UBS also maintains a Buy rating with a $530 target. Separately, ETFs bought a net $79.8 million of AMGN shares in Wednesday’s session. Scotiabank price target ETF holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinions remain divided: Leerink Partners and Guggenheim have Hold/neutral ratings, while Scotiabank and UBS are more optimistic. The differing views suggest debate about how much of Amgen’s recent gains are already reflected in its valuation. Leerink Partners rating
• Negative Sentiment: Freedom Broker downgraded Amgen to Hold, adding to the cautious analyst commentary and potentially tempering enthusiasm after the recent rally. Freedom Broker downgrade

Amgen Company Profile

Amgen is a biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines for serious illnesses. Its research and product portfolio span areas including cancer, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, bone health and rare diseases.

The company’s medicines include Enbrel, Prolia, Xgeva and Repatha. Amgen serves patients and healthcare providers in the United States and markets its products internationally.

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, Amgen is led by Robert A.