Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) Rating Increased to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded AstraZeneca from a "hold" to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Friday.
• Analyst consensus remains tilted positive with nine Buy and one Sell, giving the stock an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.75.
• Shares opened at $188.76, trading in a one-year range of $122.48–$212.71, with a market cap of $292.75 billion and a P/E of 28.82.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Friday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings began coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy (b)" rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 target price on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of AZN opened at $188.76 on Friday. Astrazeneca has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of $292.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.82, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.32.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IHT Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,527 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,076,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Visionary Wealth Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors now owns 4,197 shares of the company's stock worth $737,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Vista Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 21,215 shares of the company's stock worth $3,723,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Astrazeneca by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the company's stock valued at $595,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC boosted its stake in Astrazeneca by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 1,564 shares of the company's stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company's stock.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the UK’s Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.

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