Hsbc Holdings PLC Sells 106,968 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings cut its AstraZeneca stake by 94.4% in the first quarter, selling 106,968 shares and retaining 6,297 shares valued at approximately $1.23 million.
• AstraZeneca reported second-quarter earnings of $2.63 per share, beating estimates, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year to $15.38 billion but narrowly missed expectations. The company maintained its 2026 outlook, supported by strong oncology and rare-disease demand.
• Investors still face risks from an Ultomiris late-stage trial failure, generic competition, weaker Chinese conditions and potential U.S. pricing pressure; analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $211 price target.

Hsbc Holdings PLC lessened its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 94.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,297 shares of the company's stock after selling 106,968 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $1,227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profit beat and outlook maintained: Second-quarter earnings were $2.63 per share, well above the $2.10 analyst consensus. AstraZeneca also backed its 2026 forecasts, helping ease concerns about longer-term growth. AstraZeneca beats second-quarter profit expectations, holds outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology and rare-disease demand remained strong: Growth from cancer, heart-disease and rare-disease therapies helped offset weaker sales in other products and increasing generic competition. First-half revenue rose 9% to $30.7 billion, or 6% at constant exchange rates. AZN Q2 Earnings and Sales Beat, Key Drugs Offset Generic Pressure
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed expectations: Quarterly revenue increased 6.4% year over year to $15.38 billion, narrowly below the $15.44 billion analyst estimate. Management is also navigating weaker conditions in China and the loss of exclusivity for certain products. AstraZeneca Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Pipeline setback: Ultomiris failed to meet the main goal in a late-stage trial involving a blood-vessel complication after stem-cell transplantation. The result adds to recent concerns about AstraZeneca’s development pipeline, although the company’s established portfolio supported the quarter. AstraZeneca's rare disease drug misses main goal in late-stage trial
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. pricing pressure remains a risk: AstraZeneca is adjusting pricing strategies for new medicines in response to the Trump administration’s most-favoured-nation policy, which could constrain future pricing and margins in the U.S. AstraZeneca drug prices evolving in response to Trump policy

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

AZN opened at $170.02 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $180.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $187.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $263.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.24. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $142.98 and a 12-month high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.17 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on AZN shares. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Astrazeneca from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $211.00.

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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