UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Invests $12.03 Million in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 183,548 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,026,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,597 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,311,000 after buying an additional 567 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth $111,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 45,726 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,996,000 after buying an additional 1,212 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OLD National Bancorp IN boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 13,007 shares of the company's stock worth $852,000 after purchasing an additional 660 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $85.00.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AZN traded up $1.18 on Wednesday, reaching $73.00. The company had a trading volume of 3,620,695 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,195,274. The company has a fifty day moving average of $69.33 and a 200-day moving average of $69.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $226.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.30, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.38. AstraZeneca PLC has a one year low of $61.24 and a one year high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.14. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.06 EPS. AstraZeneca's revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.