Erste Group Bank Cuts Earnings Estimates for Astrazeneca

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2026 EPS estimate for AstraZeneca to $10.31 from $10.52, though that still sits slightly above the current consensus estimate of $10.22 per share.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally positive: AstraZeneca has a Moderate Buy consensus, with 13 Buy ratings, one Hold, and one Sell, and an average target price of $211.00.
• AstraZeneca recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.58 versus $2.52 expected and revenue of $15.29 billion versus $14.93 billion estimated.

Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank decreased their FY2026 EPS estimates for Astrazeneca in a research note issued on Wednesday, July 15th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the company will earn $10.31 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $10.52. The consensus estimate for Astrazeneca's current full-year earnings is $10.22 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Astrazeneca's FY2027 earnings at $11.50 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. HSBC cut shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Astrazeneca from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $211.00.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Astrazeneca stock opened at $168.81 on Monday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $182.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $188.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.91. Astrazeneca has a 1 year low of $137.23 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The company has a market capitalization of $261.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.24.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.93 billion.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Astrazeneca

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Astrazeneca during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Bangor Savings Bank increased its holdings in Astrazeneca by 102.7% during the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

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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