AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Shares Acquired by Baird Financial Group Inc.

Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 6.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 264,741 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,723 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $17,346,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Bayesian Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,103,000. Bellevue Group AG raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Bellevue Group AG now owns 35,700 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,339,000 after buying an additional 2,200 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 189.3% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 24,026,966 shares of the company's stock worth $1,574,247,000 after buying an additional 15,722,197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bearing Point Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth $747,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.4 %

NASDAQ AZN traded up $0.27 on Friday, hitting $67.57. 6,215,921 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,135,475. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.93. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $61.24 and a 52-week high of $87.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $209.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $71.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.75.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. The firm had revenue of $13.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.71 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.06 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on AZN shares. UBS Group upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $88.00.

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.