10,000 Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Shares Acquired by Value Partners Investments Inc.

Key Points

• Value Partners Investments increased its AstraZeneca position by 17.2% in the third quarter, purchasing 10,000 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 68,251 shares valued at approximately $11.1 million.
• Institutional ownership remains significant, with hedge funds and other institutional investors holding 20.35% of AstraZeneca’s stock. Several major firms, including Amundi, Janus Henderson, and Royal Bank of Canada, also increased their positions.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: AstraZeneca has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $206.67, compared with a recent share price of $164.03.

Value Partners Investments Inc. grew its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 17.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 68,251 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the quarter. Astrazeneca comprises 0.8% of Value Partners Investments Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Value Partners Investments Inc.'s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $11,141,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Amundi lifted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 6.7% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 16,422,784 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,114,088,000 after acquiring an additional 1,036,635 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 889.9% during the 1st 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 during the period. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 208.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,386,455 shares of the company's stock worth $2,048,417,000 after purchasing an additional 7,021,126 shares during the period. Rathbones Group PLC grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 106,772.0% during the 1st quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company's stock worth $1,560,419,000 after purchasing an additional 8,047,406 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 2.5% in the 2nd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 6,690,300 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,252,044,000 after purchasing an additional 160,339 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Nordea Equity Research upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Zacks Research raised shares of Astrazeneca from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, October 11th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

AZN stock traded down $1.38 on Monday, reaching $164.03. The company had a trading volume of 2,322,055 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,812,117. The company's fifty day moving average is $162.20 and its 200 day moving average is $175.70. The company has a market cap of $254.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.52, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.27. 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 Plc has a 1 year low of $153.41 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.17 earnings per share. Astrazeneca's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Astrazeneca 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AZN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.