AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Sets New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• AstraZeneca's shares reached a new 52-week high of £124.62 ($167.57), up from a previous close of £111.82 ($150.36), with a trading volume of nearly 4.4 million shares.
• Equity analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with three giving it a "Buy" rating and one a "Hold" rating, leading to an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of £131.75.
• Notably, insider Aradhana Sarin sold 9,563 shares for over £1.1 million at an average price of £115.12, indicating active insider trading.

AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as £124.62 ($167.57) and last traded at £124.36 ($167.22), with a volume of 4437909 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at £111.82 ($150.36).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a £110 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a "buy" rating and set a £142 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, September 1st. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and set a £135 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of £131.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 11.2%

The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83. The firm has a market cap of £192.79 billion, a PE ratio of 2,342.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17. The business's 50-day simple moving average is £114.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is £108.84.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Aradhana Sarin sold 9,563 shares of AstraZeneca stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of £115.12, for a total value of £1,100,892.56. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by 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.

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