Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts have a “Moderate Buy” consensus on AstraZeneca, with 14 buy, 3 hold and 1 sell rating among 18 firms. The average 12-month price target is $206.67, above the stock’s quoted price of $162.72.
• AstraZeneca’s latest quarterly results beat earnings expectations, reporting $2.63 EPS versus the $2.50 consensus, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year to $15.38 billion.
• Clinical setbacks are a key risk: the company’s breast-cancer drug camizestrant failed to meet the primary endpoint in the Phase III SERENA-4 trial, putting pressure on a major oncology growth opportunity and contributing to some analyst downgrades.

Shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $206.6667.

Several research analysts have commented on AZN shares. HSBC lowered Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. CICC Research started coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $198.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Bank of America restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th.

Astrazeneca Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $162.72 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.89. Astrazeneca has a 1 year low of $145.79 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $252.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.32, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.25. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $181.28.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.17 earnings per share. Astrazeneca's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Astrazeneca will post 9.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Astrazeneca

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Roxbury Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in Astrazeneca during the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. Hedge funds and other 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: UBS said AstraZeneca’s recent decline has gone too far and maintained its Buy rating. The view suggests the valuation already reflects concerns about two clinical setbacks and merger speculation, potentially supporting a rebound. AstraZeneca shares oversold after trial flops and merger talk, says UBS
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital reiterated its Buy rating, while AstraZeneca was also highlighted as a CNBC “Final Trade” selection, providing additional support from bullish market commentary. RBC Capital sticks to Buy rating CNBC Final Trades
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank upgraded AstraZeneca to Hold, indicating improved sentiment versus its prior stance but stopping short of a Buy recommendation. AstraZeneca upgraded to Hold at Deutsche Bank
• Neutral Sentiment: The average brokerage recommendation remains equivalent to Buy, but the report cautions that Wall Street ratings can be overly optimistic and should not be viewed as a stand-alone investment signal. Is It Worth Investing in AstraZeneca Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Negative Sentiment: AstraZeneca’s breast-cancer drug camizestrant failed to meet the primary endpoint in the Phase III SERENA-4 trial. The setback threatens a major oncology growth opportunity and is the most important fundamental pressure on the shares. AstraZeneca’s Oncology Engine Faces a Key Test After Camizestrant Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded AZN from Hold to Strong Sell and added it to the Zacks Rank #5 Strong Sell list, reinforcing near-term concerns about the company’s outlook. New Strong Sell Stocks for September 15

Astrazeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its principal therapeutic areas include oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, respiratory and immunology conditions, and rare diseases.

The company's portfolio includes medicines such as Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza for cancer; Farxiga for cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic conditions; Fasenra for severe asthma; and Symbicort for respiratory disease.

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