161,624 Shares in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Acquired by Professional Advisory Services Inc.

Key Points

• Professional Advisory Services Inc. acquired 161,624 AstraZeneca shares worth approximately $30.2 million in the second quarter, making the stock its seventh-largest holding and representing 3.6% of its portfolio.
• AstraZeneca reported quarterly EPS of $2.63, beating estimates of $2.50, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year to $15.38 billion, slightly below expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with 12 Buy ratings, two Holds and one Sell; MarketBeat lists a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a $211 average price target versus the stock’s $161.28 price.

Professional Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 161,624 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $30,241,000. Astrazeneca comprises about 3.6% of Professional Advisory Services Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:AZN opened at $161.28 on Friday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $145.79 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $250.12 billion, a PE ratio of 24.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $176.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.11.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued 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. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.Astrazeneca's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.17 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wall Street Zen cut Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $211.00.

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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