AstraZeneca PLC $AZN is Clayton Partners LLC's 10th Largest Position

Key Points

• Clayton Partners LLC increased its stake in AstraZeneca PLC by 12.4% during the first quarter, holding a total of 51,638 shares valued at approximately $3.8 million.
• AstraZeneca's stock reached an opening price of $79.99, with a market capitalization of $248.08 billion and a P/E ratio of 30.07.
• Despite reporting a revenue increase of 16.1% year-over-year, AstraZeneca's earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter met expectations at $1.09, which was a decline from the previous year's $1.24 EPS.

Clayton Partners LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 12.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 51,638 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 5,695 shares during the quarter. AstraZeneca accounts for approximately 3.3% of Clayton Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Clayton Partners LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $3,795,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 7,574 shares of the company's stock valued at $557,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 28,053 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,062,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 4,478 shares of the company's stock valued at $329,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 31.8% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 642 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oakworth Capital Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 8,575 shares of the company's stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 price target on AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.00.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AstraZeneca stock traded up $1.59 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $81.78. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,009,766 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,188,548. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $61.24 and a 12-month high of $85.99. The company has a market capitalization of $253.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.76, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $74.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $72.58.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09. The business had revenue of $14.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.08 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 14.68% and a return on equity of 32.84%. AstraZeneca's revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict 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 will be paid on Monday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be given a dividend of $0.505 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 200.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. AstraZeneca's payout ratio is 37.97%.

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.