London Co. of Virginia Invests $1.28 Million in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• London Co. of Virginia purchased 6,470 AstraZeneca shares worth approximately $1.28 million in the first quarter, while institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 20.35% of the stock.
• AstraZeneca reported quarterly EPS of $2.63, beating analyst expectations of $2.10, though revenue of $15.38 billion came slightly below the $15.44 billion consensus estimate.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $211 price target; AZN recently opened at $168.68, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

London Co. of Virginia bought a new position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 6,470 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,276,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Astrazeneca by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 45.3% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company's stock worth $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 11,690 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 54.4% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 10,274 shares of the company's stock worth $731,000 after purchasing an additional 3,618 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 898.4% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 33,478 shares of the company's stock worth $2,339,000 after purchasing an additional 30,125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 46,642 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,259,000 after purchasing an additional 559 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 0.3%

AZN opened at $168.68 on Monday. The business's fifty day moving average is $180.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $261.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.33, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.24. Astrazeneca Plc has a one year low of $142.98 and a one year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.53. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.44 billion. Analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, June 26th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Barclays reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Monday, June 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Astrazeneca from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $211.00.

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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