12,478 Shares in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Bought by Greenleaf Trust

Key Points

• Greenleaf Trust acquired 12,478 AstraZeneca shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $2.37 million. Several other institutional investors also initiated positions, with institutions collectively owning 20.35% of the stock.
• AstraZeneca reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $2.63 per share, beating estimates of $2.50, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year to $15.38 billion, slightly below expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 13 Buy, two Hold and one Sell rating; the stock has an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $206.67, compared with its recent price of $162.83.

Greenleaf Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 12,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,366,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Professional Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Astrazeneca in the second quarter worth approximately $30,241,000. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,296,000. Westport Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,422,000. Madison Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 2nd quarter worth $4,041,000. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 2nd quarter worth $5,901,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $162.83 on Monday. Astrazeneca Plc has a fifty-two week low of $145.79 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.89. The company has a market capitalization of $252.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a fifty day moving average of $171.23 and a 200 day moving average of $184.72.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The business had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.44 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.17 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on AZN shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th. CICC Research began coverage on Astrazeneca in a research report on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $198.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Astrazeneca from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $206.67.

Astrazeneca 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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