Northern Trust Corp Has $343.01 Million Stock Position in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp has reduced its stake in AstraZeneca PLC by 0.6%, now owning approximately 4.67 million shares valued at $343 million.
• The company reported $1.09 EPS for the last quarter, matching analysts' estimates, with a revenue increase of 16.1% year-over-year to $14.46 billion.
• Berenberg Bank has set a price target of $97.00 for AstraZeneca, which currently holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an estimated price target of $86.00.

Northern Trust Corp reduced its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,666,777 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,901 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned approximately 0.15% of AstraZeneca worth $343,008,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 58.4% during the 1st quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 13,055 shares of the company's stock worth $960,000 after acquiring an additional 4,811 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 13.1% during the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 6,083 shares of the company's stock worth $442,000 after acquiring an additional 706 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 311,600 shares of the company's stock worth $22,903,000 after acquiring an additional 5,557 shares during the period. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 74.5% during the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 36,300 shares of the company's stock worth $2,378,000 after acquiring an additional 15,499 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 1st quarter worth approximately $727,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN traded down $1.4040 during trading on Monday, reaching $79.5660. 2,454,158 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,245,218. The company's 50 day moving average is $72.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $246.76 billion, a PE ratio of 29.90, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $61.24 and a 52 week high of $87.68.

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

AstraZeneca Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 37.97%.

AstraZeneca 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.