AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• AstraZeneca shares moved above their 200‑day moving average (200‑day SMA £124.76), trading as high as £137.04 and last at £135.91 on heavy volume (~964.7 million shares), though the stock remains slightly below the 50‑day SMA (£137.60).
• Analysts hold a Moderate Buy consensus with a consensus target price of £138—four Buy ratings versus one Sell—after several firms updated targets and ratings in recent months.
• Key fundamentals: market cap £210.69 billion, P/E 22.58 and PEG 0.86; insiders own 0.14% of shares and one insider sold 297 shares in December for ~£40,083.

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN - Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of £124.76 and traded as high as £137.04. AstraZeneca shares last traded at £135.91, with a volume of 964,678,625 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on AZN shares. Berenberg Bank raised their target price on AstraZeneca from £142 to £145 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on AstraZeneca from £105 to £110 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "overweight" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a £150 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Shore Capital reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of £138.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of £137.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of £124.76. The stock has a market cap of £210.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.58, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Nazneen Rahman sold 297 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of £134.96, for a total transaction of £40,083.12. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company's stock.

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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