Townsquare Capital LLC lessened its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 7.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 82,302 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,274 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $6,049,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 93.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789 shares during the period. American Assets Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $426,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $1,073,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 498,831 shares of the company's stock worth $32,683,000 after acquiring an additional 5,384 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $312,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
AstraZeneca Stock Performance
NASDAQ:AZN opened at $73.56 on Friday. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $61.24 and a twelve month high of $87.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company has a 50-day moving average of $71.86 and a 200-day moving average of $71.65. The firm has a market cap of $228.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.36.
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.09. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 14.68% and a return on equity of 32.84%. The company had revenue of $14.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.08 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.24 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
AstraZeneca Cuts Dividend
The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be issued a $0.505 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 200.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.44%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
AZN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $89.00.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AZN
About AstraZeneca
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading

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