AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• AstraZeneca's shares recently surpassed their 200-day moving average of £109.63, trading as high as £128.08 during the session.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for AstraZeneca, with target prices ranging between £110 and £145, with three analysts issuing buy ratings.
• The company has a market capitalization of £194.62 billion and key financial metrics indicative of solid performance, such as a P/E ratio of 2,364.22.

AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of £109.63 ($146.04) and traded as high as £128.08 ($170.61). AstraZeneca shares last traded at £127.38 ($169.68), with a volume of 2,574,038 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on AZN. Shore Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and set a £145 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Berenberg Bank restated a "buy" rating and set a £142 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, September 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "overweight" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a £110 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of £134.25.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market cap of £194.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,364.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17. The company's 50 day moving average price is £118.10 and its 200-day moving average price is £109.63.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Aradhana Sarin sold 9,563 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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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