Hilltop National Bank Purchases 7,586 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Hilltop National Bank increased its stake in AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) by 165% in Q4, buying 7,586 shares to hold 12,184 shares valued at about $1.12 million at quarter-end.
• AstraZeneca declared a dividend of $1.595 per share, payable March 23 to shareholders of record on February 20 (ex-dividend date February 20); the article reports a dividend payout ratio of 66.26% and a yield of 156.0%.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with nine Buy ratings and one Sell, giving AZN a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $95.75.

Hilltop National Bank grew its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 165.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,184 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,586 shares during the period. Hilltop National Bank's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $1,120,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Astrazeneca by 93.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company's stock worth $2,756,000 after acquiring an additional 11,690 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 505,055 shares of the company's stock worth $35,293,000 after acquiring an additional 14,025 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 123.6% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,321 shares of the company's stock valued at $721,000 after acquiring an additional 5,705 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,491 shares of the company's stock valued at $873,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on AZN shares. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday. HSBC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings initiated coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy (b)" rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Nine 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $183.40 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $284.44 billion, a PE ratio of 28.00, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.94. 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 declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. Astrazeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.26%.

Astrazeneca Profile

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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