Capital Wealth Planning LLC Has $8.03 Million Stock Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Capital Wealth Planning LLC increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 24.1% during Q3 to 104,642 shares, valued at approximately $8.03 million.
• AstraZeneca announced a dividend of $1.595 per share payable March 23 with record/ex-dividend date on February 20; the article reports a dividend yield of 156.0% and a payout ratio of 66.26%.
• Institutional and analyst outlook: Institutions own about 20.35% of AZN, with Boston Partners holding ~5.25 million shares (~$405M), and analysts' consensus is a "Moderate Buy" (nine Buys, one Sell) with an average target of $95.75.

Capital Wealth Planning LLC lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 24.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 104,642 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,328 shares during the period. Capital Wealth Planning LLC's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $8,028,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its position in Astrazeneca by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 347,131 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,632,000 after acquiring an additional 10,434 shares during the period. Boston Partners raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 5.2% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,247,449 shares of the company's stock valued at $405,047,000 after acquiring an additional 257,525 shares during the last quarter. Scharf Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the third quarter worth $7,094,000. Vise Technologies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.5% in the third quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 29,796 shares of the company's stock worth $2,286,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kennedy Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 9.6% in the third quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 51,833 shares of the company's stock worth $3,977,000 after purchasing an additional 4,539 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

AZN stock opened at $190.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $294.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.01, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.32. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Barclays reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $103.00 price objective on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings began coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a "buy (b)" rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.75.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.

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