AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Purchased by Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC

Key Points

• Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC increased its position in AstraZeneca by 255.4% during the first quarter, acquiring a total of 57,767 shares valued at approximately $4.25 million.
• AstraZeneca reported a 16.1% increase in quarterly revenue year-over-year, reaching $14.46 billion, and maintained an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.09.
• Berenberg Bank set a target price of $97.00 for AstraZeneca stock, while analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $86.00.

Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 255.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 57,767 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 41,511 shares during the period. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $4,246,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AZN. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the last quarter. American Assets Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth $426,000. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth $23,157,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 27,569 shares of the company's stock worth $1,806,000 after buying an additional 1,406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,692,678 shares of the company's stock worth $307,464,000 after buying an additional 952,010 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.1%

NASDAQ:AZN traded down $0.12 on Wednesday, reaching $79.93. The stock had a trading volume of 4,856,603 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,651,694. 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 $73.23 and a 200 day moving average of $72.36. The stock has a market cap of $247.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.36. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $61.24 and a 12-month high of $87.68.

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

AstraZeneca Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 200.0%. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 price objective on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.00.

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.