AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Earns "Buy" Rating from Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies reaffirmed its “Buy” rating on AstraZeneca and set a £175 price target, implying approximately 25.94% upside from the current price.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with six Buy ratings and one Hold rating; AstraZeneca has an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of £153.57.
• AstraZeneca shares rose 6.5% to £138.96 in Friday trading, with volume exceeding the stock’s average, while the company’s market capitalization stood at approximately £215.51 billion.

AstraZeneca (LON:AZN - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reissued by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group in a research report issued on Friday, Digital Look reports. They presently have a £175 price objective on the biopharmaceutical company's stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 25.94% from the company's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and set a £117 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Berenberg Bank restated a "buy" rating and set a £175 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of AstraZeneca from £175 to £178 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. They set an "outperform" rating and a £145 target price for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of £153.57.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 6.5%

AstraZeneca stock traded up GBX 844 during trading hours on Friday, reaching £138.96. 39,680,727 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 29,690,658. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is £122.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is £134.30. AstraZeneca has a twelve month low of £114.04 and a twelve month high of £157.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.10. The firm has a market capitalization of £215.51 billion, a PE ratio of 20.80, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.21.

Insider Activity at AstraZeneca

In other news, insider Michel Demare purchased 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of £121.21 per share, with a total value of £303,025. 0.15% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.

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