AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Bought by US Bancorp DE

Key Points

• US Bancorp DE raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 6.6% in Q3, acquiring an additional 15,065 shares to hold 242,181 shares valued at about $18.58 million.
• Several large institutions significantly increased AZN positions — including Fayez Sarofim (+173.4% to 3.7459M shares), Acadian (+2,389.9% to 2.04385M shares), Raymond James (+64.8%), and JPMorgan (+27.8%) — leaving institutional ownership at 20.35%.
• AstraZeneca declared a $1.595 dividend payable on March 23 to shareholders of record on February 20 (ex-dividend date February 20), with a reported payout ratio of about 74.83%.

US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 242,181 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,065 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $18,581,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AZN. Fayez Sarofim & Co grew its position in AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the second quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company's stock worth $261,764,000 after buying an additional 2,376,032 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company's stock worth $142,798,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961,764 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 64.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company's stock valued at $264,373,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487,662 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the second quarter valued at $96,936,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 27.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,824,072 shares of the company's stock valued at $370,103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048,738 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 2.3%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $208.72 on Friday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $122.48 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market cap of $323.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 69.34, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $135.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $102.01.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca's payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on AZN shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded AstraZeneca from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. HSBC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AstraZeneca currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.75.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led 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's operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.

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