Arista Wealth Management LLC Invests $653,000 in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• Arista Wealth Management LLC invested approximately $653,000 in shares of AstraZeneca PLC, acquiring 9,342 shares during the 2nd quarter.
• AstraZeneca reported $1.09 EPS for the last quarter, meeting consensus estimates, and had a revenue of $14.46 billion, significantly exceeding analyst expectations.
• The company's dividend payout ratio stands at 37.97%, after declaring a semi-annual dividend of $0.505 per share, reflecting ongoing financial commitment to shareholders.

Arista Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 9,342 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $653,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 297.9% in the 1st quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 386 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 59.8% during the 2nd quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 398 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Maseco LLP bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the first quarter worth $37,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AstraZeneca stock opened at $83.83 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $80.00 and its 200 day moving average is $73.76. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company has a market cap of $259.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.52, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.36. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $61.24 and a 52-week high of $86.57.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.09. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.84% and a net margin of 14.68%.The company had revenue of $14.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.08 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.24 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 8th. Investors of record on Friday, August 8th were issued a dividend of $0.505 per share. This represents a yield of 200.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio is presently 37.97%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut AstraZeneca from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $86.00.

About AstraZeneca

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.

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