Banque Pictet & Cie SA Purchases 163,549 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Banque Pictet & Cie SA increased its AstraZeneca stake by 87.6% in the third quarter, purchasing 163,549 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 350,235 shares valued at approximately $57.1 million.
• Institutional ownership remains significant, with hedge funds and other investors adding to their positions; institutions collectively own about 20.35% of AstraZeneca.
• AstraZeneca has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $206.67, while shares recently traded at $165.23. Analysts are watching the company’s upcoming earnings and pipeline developments, including its AI drug-discovery partnership and AVANZAR lung-cancer trial.

Banque Pictet & Cie SA raised its stake in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 87.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 350,235 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 163,549 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $57,135,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AZN. Professional Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Astrazeneca in the second quarter worth $30,241,000. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,296,000. Andra AP fonden raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 122.9% during the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 526,714 shares of the company's stock worth $99,876,000 after purchasing an additional 290,412 shares during the period. Westport Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter worth $1,422,000. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter worth $4,041,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI partnership expands pipeline potential: AstraZeneca agreed to collaborate with insitro on machine-learning-based drug discovery for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and cardiomyopathies. The deal could be worth up to $1.5 billion, including upfront and milestone payments plus royalties, giving AstraZeneca access to new potential therapies while spreading early-stage research risk. AstraZeneca Enters AI Drug Discovery Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: RBC Capital Markets reiterated its “outperform” rating and 14,500-pence target, forecasting third-quarter revenue and core EPS modestly above consensus ahead of AstraZeneca’s October 30 results. Citi also raised its target to £186. RBC Keeps AstraZeneca at Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Potentially attractive valuation: A market commentary highlighted that AZN has declined more than 8% this year even though operating performance has remained relatively resilient. The article points to a forward price-to-earnings multiple of about 14.6 times as a possible long-term buying opportunity. AstraZeneca Valuation Commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity surged: Investors purchased 49,737 call options, more than 14 times typical volume. This may signal bullish positioning, but options activity alone does not establish a fundamental change in the company’s outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst signal: Zacks Research upgraded AstraZeneca from “strong sell” to “hold,” indicating reduced pessimism but not a bullish recommendation. AZN is also being monitored for breast-cancer sales growth, expanded approvals and clinical milestones.
• Negative Sentiment: Underperformance remains an overhang: AstraZeneca continues to lag the broader market, and investors may be waiting for upcoming earnings and the AVANZAR lung-cancer trial before assigning greater value to its pipeline.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AZN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. HSBC lowered shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered Astrazeneca from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 0.9%

AZN stock opened at $165.23 on Friday. Astrazeneca Plc has a fifty-two week low of $153.41 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $256.26 billion, a PE ratio of 17.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.89. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $162.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $176.23.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.17 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Astrazeneca

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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