L & S Advisors Inc Takes Position in Amgen Inc. $AMGN

Key Points

• L & S Advisors Inc initiated a new position in Amgen during the fourth quarter, buying 13,104 shares worth about $4.29 million. Institutional ownership in the biotech company remains high at 76.5%.
• Amgen reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $5.15 topping estimates and revenue of $8.62 billion slightly ahead of forecasts. Revenue also rose 5.8% from the same quarter a year ago.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $2.52 per share, implying a 3.1% yield. Analysts are mixed on the stock, with an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $356.15.

L & S Advisors Inc bought a new stake in Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 13,104 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $4,289,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Amgen by 1,000.0% during the fourth quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 77 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Amgen by 275.0% during the fourth quarter. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC now owns 75 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new stake in Amgen during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC raised its stake in Amgen by 49.2% during the fourth quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 97 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the period. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Amgen during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.50% of the company's stock.

Amgen Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AMGN opened at $326.31 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $349.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $342.99. Amgen Inc. has a 52 week low of $267.73 and a 52 week high of $391.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $176.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.71, a PEG ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.65.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The medical research company reported $5.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.77 by $0.38. Amgen had a net margin of 20.96% and a return on equity of 137.41%. The company had revenue of $8.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.90 earnings per share. Amgen's revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Amgen has set its FY 2026 guidance at 21.700-23.100 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Amgen Inc. will post 22.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Amgen Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be issued a $2.52 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $10.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Amgen's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 70.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Amgen from $390.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Amgen in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $350.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Amgen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Amgen from $315.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price target on shares of Amgen from $432.00 to $427.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $356.15.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Nancy A. Grygiel sold 1,237 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $323.73, for a total value of $400,454.01. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 7,009 shares in the company, valued at $2,269,023.57. This trade represents a 15.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.85% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Amgen Company Profile

Amgen Inc NASDAQ: AMGN is a global biotechnology company founded in 1980 and headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. The company focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering human therapeutics that address serious illnesses. Amgen's work centers on biologic medicines derived from cellular and molecular biology, with an emphasis on translating advances in human genetics and protein science into therapies for patients.

Amgen's commercial portfolio has historically included biologics used in oncology, supportive care, nephrology, bone health and cardiovascular disease.

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