AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• AstraZeneca has a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" from six analysts (five buys, one sell) with an average 12‑month target price of £152.50; notable recent revisions include Citigroup raising its target to £180 and Berenberg to £160 while Deutsche Bank kept a sell rating at £110.
• Shares opened at £152.69 (near the consensus target and close to the 1‑year high of £157.32); the company has a market cap of £236.79 billion, a P/E of 23.35, a 50‑day MA of £146.93 and a 200‑day MA of £137.50.

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is £152.50.

AZN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup upped their price target on AstraZeneca from £170 to £180 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on AstraZeneca from £105 to £110 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Shore Capital Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an "overweight" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Berenberg Bank upped their price target on AstraZeneca from £145 to £160 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of LON AZN opened at £152.69 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is £146.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is £137.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 60.87, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.59. AstraZeneca has a 1-year low of GBX 9,651 and a 1-year high of £157.32. The company has a market cap of £236.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.28.

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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