AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Purchased by Guardian Capital LP

Key Points

• Guardian Capital LP raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 31% in Q3 to 83,074 shares (an additional 19,648), holdings valued at about $6.37 million per its SEC filing.
• AstraZeneca declared a dividend of $1.595 per share, payable March 23 with a record and ex-dividend date of February 20.
• Stock and analyst snapshot: AZN opened at $194.44, sits in a 12‑month range of $122.48–$212.71 with a $301.6B market cap, and carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating (nine Buys, one Sell) with a $95.75 target.

Guardian Capital LP raised its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 31.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 83,074 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 19,648 shares during the quarter. Guardian Capital LP's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $6,373,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in AstraZeneca by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in AstraZeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company's stock worth $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 11,690 shares during the last quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 149.3% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,201.3% in the second quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 96,655 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,754,000 after purchasing an additional 92,455 shares during the period. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 20.1% during the second quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 987 shares of the company's stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

NASDAQ AZN opened at $194.44 on Friday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $122.48 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $301.56 billion, a PE ratio of 64.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $146.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $106.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Citigroup initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. HSBC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "sell" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Profile

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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