Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Stock Bought by Professional Advisory Services Inc.

Key Points

• Professional Advisory Services Inc. increased its AstraZeneca position by 12.6% in the third quarter, adding 20,339 shares to own 181,963 shares valued at approximately $29.7 million.
• AstraZeneca shares recently traded at $158.75, near the lower end of their 52-week range, with a market capitalization of about $246.2 billion. The company beat quarterly EPS estimates, though revenue fell slightly short of forecasts and rose 6.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable: 14 analysts rate AZN a Buy, three rate it Hold, and one rates it Sell, producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $206.67.

Professional Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 181,963 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,339 shares during the period. Astrazeneca accounts for 3.5% of Professional Advisory Services Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Professional Advisory Services Inc.'s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $29,679,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca in the first quarter worth about $26,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

AZN traded down $1.37 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $158.75. 3,488,715 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,799,994. The company's fifty day moving average price is $162.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $177.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $246.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52-week low of $153.41 and a 52-week high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.17 earnings per share. Astrazeneca's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.36 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on AZN shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Astrazeneca from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, October 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. CICC Research started coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $198.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Astrazeneca from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca PLC is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Its research, development and commercial operations focus on prescription medicines for serious and chronic diseases, with an emphasis on discovering and delivering innovative therapies rather than operating as a diversified healthcare conglomerate.

The company's principal therapeutic areas include oncology; cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases; respiratory and immunological conditions; and rare diseases.

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