Erste Group Bank Expects Increased Earnings for Astrazeneca

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for AstraZeneca to $10.45 from $10.34, well above the $9.36 analyst consensus.
• AstraZeneca has broad analyst support, with 15 Buy ratings, three Holds and one Sell; MarketBeat lists a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a $206.67 price target.
• Shares opened at $158.25 and remain near their one-year low of $153.41, while the company’s latest quarterly EPS of $2.63 exceeded estimates despite revenue falling slightly short of expectations.

Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) - Analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Astrazeneca in a report released on Thursday, October 8th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the company will earn $10.45 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $10.34. The consensus estimate for Astrazeneca's current full-year earnings is $9.36 per share.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Bank of America restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Nordea Equity Research upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of AZN stock opened at $158.25 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $245.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.65, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.27. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $161.94 and a 200-day moving average of $176.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Astrazeneca has a 1-year low of $153.41 and a 1-year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%. Astrazeneca's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.17 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Astrazeneca

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Amundi boosted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 16,422,784 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,114,088,000 after purchasing an additional 1,036,635 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in Astrazeneca by 889.9% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company's stock worth $2,319,947,000 after purchasing an additional 10,742,268 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 208.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,386,455 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,048,417,000 after buying an additional 7,021,126 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 106,772.0% in the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,560,419,000 after buying an additional 8,047,406 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 546.1% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,667,812 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,315,026,000 after buying an additional 5,635,812 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca PLC is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Its research, development and commercial operations focus on prescription medicines for serious and chronic diseases, with an emphasis on discovering and delivering innovative therapies rather than operating as a diversified healthcare conglomerate.

The company's principal therapeutic areas include oncology; cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases; respiratory and immunological conditions; and rare diseases.

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