AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Sell-Side Brokerages

Key Points

• AstraZeneca has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from seven analysts, with six buys and one hold; the average 12-month price target is £150.
• Recent analyst targets range from £117 to £178, including upgrades from Citigroup and reiterated buy/outperform ratings from Jefferies and RBC, while Deutsche Bank maintained a hold rating.
• The stock opened at £118.70, near its 12-month low of £114.04 and below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages; insider Michel Demare recently bought 2,500 shares for approximately £303,025.

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is £150.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on AZN shares. Berenberg Bank cut their price target on AstraZeneca from £160 to £150 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on AstraZeneca from £175 to £178 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a £145 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a £175 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a £117 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th.

Insider Activity at AstraZeneca

In other AstraZeneca news, insider Michel Demare acquired 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of £121.21 per share, for a total transaction of £303,025. Insiders own 0.15% of the company's stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 1.3%

AZN stock opened at £118.70 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average of £121.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of £132.75. AstraZeneca has a 12 month low of £114.04 and a 12 month high of £157.32. The company has a market cap of £184.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.77, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.20.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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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