AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $89.00.

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas started coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 target price on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 9th.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ AZN opened at $71.74 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca has a fifty-two week low of $61.24 and a fifty-two week high of $87.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $70.88. The stock has a market cap of $222.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.37.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.14. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 33.14% and a net margin of 14.14%. The business had revenue of $13.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.06 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that AstraZeneca will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.9% during the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 7,574 shares of the company's stock worth $557,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the period. Cibc World Markets Corp increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 12,901 shares of the company's stock valued at $845,000 after buying an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 0.5% during the first quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 28,053 shares of the company's stock worth $2,062,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 3.4% during the first quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 4,478 shares of the company's stock worth $329,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 31.8% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 642 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.

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