HAP Trading LLC Sells 7,267 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• HAP Trading LLC reduced its AstraZeneca stake by 14%, selling 7,267 shares and holding 44,533 shares valued at $3,112,000 after the second quarter per its latest 13F filing.
• AstraZeneca declared a $1.595 dividend payable on March 23 to shareholders of record on February 20 (ex-dividend date February 20), with the company’s reported dividend payout ratio at 74.83% and a stated yield of 156.0% in the report.
• AZN opened at $202.22 with a market cap of $313.62 billion and a P/E of 67.18; analyst coverage shows nine Buys and one Sell, giving an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

HAP Trading LLC decreased its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 14.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,533 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,267 shares during the period. HAP Trading LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $3,112,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 21.5% during the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 64,421 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,942,000 after purchasing an additional 11,398 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in AstraZeneca by 20.0% in the 3rd 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 period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 111.6% during the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,113,000 after buying an additional 35,148 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 20.4% during the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 42,983 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,298,000 after buying an additional 7,289 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 38,043 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.2%

AZN stock opened at $202.22 on Thursday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $142.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $104.80. The stock has a market cap of $313.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.18, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $122.48 and a twelve month high of $212.71.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a $1.595 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on AZN shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen cut AstraZeneca from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and set a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.75.

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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