Aptus Capital Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 143.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,342 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,736 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Cibc World Markets Corp boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 12,901 shares of the company's stock valued at $845,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $295,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Veery Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. Veery Capital LLC now owns 3,503 shares of the company's stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the period. Tiller Private Wealth Inc. lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Tiller Private Wealth Inc. now owns 3,350 shares of the company's stock valued at $219,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the period. Finally, Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 35,300 shares of the company's stock worth $2,313,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN opened at $70.07 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $71.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $69.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $61.24 and a 52 week high of $87.68. The stock has a market cap of $217.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.00, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.40.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.71 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.06 EPS. On average, analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. BNP Paribas began coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $88.00.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.

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