Capital International Investors Sells 6,352,463 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• Capital International Investors sold 6,352,463 shares of AstraZeneca in Q3, trimming its stake by 20.2% to 25,052,520 shares worth about $1.909 billion (0.81% of the company).
• Wall Street sentiment is skewed positive—nine analysts rate AZN a Buy and one a Sell, giving an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target price of $95.75.
• AstraZeneca announced a cash dividend of $1.595 payable March 23 to shareholders of record Feb 20 (ex-dividend date Feb 20), with the report citing a dividend yield of 156.0% and a payout ratio of 66.26%.

Capital International Investors trimmed its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 20.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,052,520 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,352,463 shares during the quarter. Capital International Investors owned 0.81% of AstraZeneca worth $1,909,245,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 21.5% in the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 64,421 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,942,000 after acquiring an additional 11,398 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 20.0% in the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,089,612 shares of the company's stock worth $83,595,000 after purchasing an additional 181,273 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 111.6% in the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company's stock worth $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 35,148 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 20.4% in the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 42,983 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,298,000 after purchasing an additional 7,289 shares during the period. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 96.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 77,594 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,953,000 after purchasing an additional 38,043 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on AZN. Citigroup assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of AZN opened at $195.00 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a fifty-two week low of $122.48 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The business has a 50-day moving average of $148.76 and a 200 day moving average of $107.42. The firm has a market cap of $302.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 64.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.88.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.26%.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden's Astra AB and the UK's Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca's operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.

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