Brokers Set Expectations for Astrazeneca FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Erste Group trimmed FY2026 EPS for AstraZeneca to $10.30 from $10.44, a small downgrade that sits near the consensus of $10.27 and signals modest analyst caution.
• AstraZeneca beat Q1 estimates with EPS $2.58 (vs. $2.53) and revenue $15.29B (vs. $14.74B), reaffirmed its 2026 outlook, and is investing in growth through moves like exercising the PTX‑299 license option and a £300M UK investment.
• Shares trade around $185.60 with a market cap of $287.85B and a PE of 31.97; the company paid a $1.595 dividend on March 23 and reports a payout ratio of 74.83%.

Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) - Research analysts at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Astrazeneca in a research report issued on Monday, April 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $10.30 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $10.44. The consensus estimate for Astrazeneca's current full-year earnings is $10.27 per share.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.74 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.41% and a return on equity of 31.57%.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $102.67.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AZN opened at $185.60 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $287.85 billion, a PE ratio of 31.97, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.94. Astrazeneca has a 52-week low of $132.32 and a 52-week high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. Astrazeneca's payout ratio is 74.83%.

Institutional Trading of Astrazeneca

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca beat Q1 estimates and reaffirmed its 2026 outlook — Q1 EPS $2.58 vs. $2.53 est.; revenue $15.29B vs. $14.74B est. Management highlighted oncology and rare-disease strength, which underpinned the maintained guidance and explains the positive market reaction. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca exercised its option to license PTX-299 from Pinetree Therapeutics (an EGFR bispecific antibody degrader), expanding its oncology pipeline; the option exercise triggers a $25M payment to Pinetree — a sign AZN is investing in next‑gen targeted therapies. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UK investment: AstraZeneca will invest £300M (~$405M) in UK sites, reinforcing production and R&D capacity and giving political/regulatory goodwill that can support long-term operations. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media commentary: bullish analyst pieces and investor decks underline long‑term oncology-led growth (Seeking Alpha / MarketBeat coverage), but these are reiterations rather than new catalysts. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Participation in FDA pilot for “real‑time” trials with Amgen/AZ could speed development cycles long-term, but this is an early-stage regulatory/operational play without immediate revenue impact. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2026 EPS forecast slightly to $10.30 from $10.44 — a minor downgrade that signals some analyst caution despite the beat; the revision is small and sits near consensus ($10.27), so its near-term market impact is limited.

Astrazeneca Company Profile

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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