Erste Group Bank Lowers Earnings Estimates for AstraZeneca

Key Points

• Erste Group Bank lowered AstraZeneca’s FY2026 EPS estimate to $10.32 from $10.45, while forecasting FY2027 EPS of $11.45. The revised FY2026 estimate remains above the $10.23 analyst consensus.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally positive: AstraZeneca has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”, with 16 Buy ratings and three Hold ratings and an average price target of $206.67.
• AstraZeneca’s shares opened at $170.04, with a $263.71 billion market capitalization. Its latest quarterly results exceeded EPS expectations, reporting $2.63 per share versus the $2.50 consensus, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year.

AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) - Analysts at Erste Group Bank decreased their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for AstraZeneca in a research report issued on Wednesday, October 21st. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the company will post earnings of $10.32 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $10.45. The consensus estimate for AstraZeneca's current full-year earnings is $10.23 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for AstraZeneca's FY2027 earnings at $11.45 EPS.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AstraZeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, October 11th. Nordea Equity Research raised AstraZeneca from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AstraZeneca from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.67.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $170.04 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $263.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.42 and a beta of 0.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $163.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $180.39. AstraZeneca has a fifty-two week low of $153.41 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.17 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AstraZeneca

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Amundi raised its holdings in 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 buying an additional 1,036,635 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 889.9% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,319,947,000 after acquiring an additional 10,742,268 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 7,021,126 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 106,772.0% in the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company's stock worth $1,560,419,000 after acquiring an additional 8,047,406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 546.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,667,812 shares of the company's stock worth $1,315,026,000 after acquiring an additional 5,635,812 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company discovers, develops and commercializes prescription medicines, with a focus on oncology, biopharmaceuticals and rare diseases. Its research and commercial operations serve patients and healthcare systems across more than 100 countries.

AstraZeneca’s portfolio includes medicines for cancer, respiratory and immune-mediated conditions, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, and rare disorders.

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