Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Shares Sold by D.A. Davidson & CO.

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & Co. cut its AstraZeneca stake by 20.2%, selling 6,157 shares and leaving 24,317 shares worth $2.235M, while UBS increased its position 15.9% to ~2.88M shares (~$264.65M); institutional/hedge-fund ownership stands around 20.35%.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy (11 Buys, 1 Sell) and a consensus target price of $205.33, as multiple brokers (UBS, Jefferies, Barclays, JPMorgan, Weiss) have recently issued or reiterated buy ratings.
• AstraZeneca beat Q1 estimates (EPS $2.58 vs. $2.52; revenue $15.29B vs. $14.93B) and paid a $1.595 dividend, but faces near-term regulatory risk after an FDA advisory committee voted against recommending camizestrant for first-line HR+ breast cancer.

D.A. Davidson & CO. reduced its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 20.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,317 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,157 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $2,235,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gray Foundation acquired a new position in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $3,359,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 5.9% during the fourth quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 28,709 shares of the company's stock worth $2,639,000 after acquiring an additional 1,588 shares during the period. Simon Quick Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 19.4% during the fourth quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 4,880 shares of the company's stock worth $449,000 after acquiring an additional 794 shares during the period. Facet Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $226,000. Finally, UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,878,796 shares of the company's stock worth $264,648,000 after acquiring an additional 394,521 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on AZN. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Thursday. Barclays raised Astrazeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings began coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy (b)" rating on the stock. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of AZN opened at $184.63 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $196.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $180.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $286.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.26. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1-year low of $132.32 and a 1-year high of $212.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The firm had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.93 billion. Analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 73.43%.

Astrazeneca News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded AZN from "neutral" to "buy", citing favorable risk/reward at the current level which can support upside as late‑year pipeline readouts approach. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank also upgraded AZN to "buy", adding analyst endorsement momentum that can help stabilize the stock after recent weakness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised 2026 core EPS forecasts and reiterated a "buy" rating, highlighting the company’s Q1 beat and a pipeline-rich second half — a catalyst narrative that could support medium‑term upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Independent outlets (24/7 Wall St.) reiterated a bullish thesis, noting more than 20 Phase III readouts ahead and a price target implying meaningful upside — adds to longer‑term investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca exercised an option to license Pinetree’s EGFR degrader program (PTX‑299), triggering a $25M payment — a small near‑term cash outflow for potentially valuable oncology IP and collaboration upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 6‑3 against recommending camizestrant for a first‑line HR+ breast cancer setting, citing trial‑design/benefit‑risk concerns — this is the primary near‑term negative driver and increases regulatory risk for a key oncology asset. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank reaffirmed a "sell" rating, keeping a portion of the sell‑side negative pressure on the stock despite other upgrades. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY‑2026 EPS estimate slightly, a reminder that some analysts are tightening near‑term EPS assumptions even after the Q1 beat. Read More.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.

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