Astellas Pharma (OTCMKTS:ALPMY) Shares Pass Above 50 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Technical breakout: Astellas shares traded above their 50‑day moving average (50‑day MA $15.81), hitting as high as $15.97 while last trading at $15.43 on volume of 70,356.
• Mixed analyst sentiment: Jefferies upgraded to a "strong‑buy" but several others rate the stock "hold," leaving a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Hold" (one Strong Buy, four Holds).
• Fundamentals remain solid: Astellas beat quarterly estimates with $0.44 EPS vs. $0.29 expected and $3.67B revenue vs. $3.21B, while posting a 15.63% net margin, 23.62% ROE, a $27.92B market cap and a PE of 12.97.

Shares of Astellas Pharma Inc. (OTCMKTS:ALPMY - Get Free Report) passed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $15.81 and traded as high as $15.97. Astellas Pharma shares last traded at $15.43, with a volume of 70,356 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ALPMY shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Astellas Pharma from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. Citigroup lowered shares of Astellas Pharma from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Smbc Nikko Sec. raised shares of Astellas Pharma to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Astellas Pharma Stock Down 0.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.92 billion, a PE ratio of 12.97 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $15.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.89.

Astellas Pharma (OTCMKTS:ALPMY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.15. Astellas Pharma had a net margin of 15.63% and a return on equity of 23.62%. The firm had revenue of $3.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.21 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Astellas Pharma Inc. will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Astellas Pharma Company Profile

Astellas Pharma Inc is a Tokyo-based, global pharmaceutical company traded in the United States as an American Depositary Receipt on the OTC Markets under the symbol ALPMY. The company focuses on discovering, developing and marketing prescription medicines in key therapeutic areas, including oncology, urology, immunology, neuroscience and cardiovascular/metabolic diseases. Astellas seeks to bring innovative treatments to market by combining internal research capabilities with external partnerships and collaborative agreements around the world.

Core products in Astellas' portfolio include the immunosuppressant Prograf (tacrolimus), the overactive bladder treatments Vesicare (solifenacin) and Myrbetriq (mirabegron), and the prostate cancer therapy Xtandi (enzalutamide).

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