Royalty Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:RPRX) Shares Sold by Marathon Asset Management Ltd

Marathon Asset Management Ltd lessened its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:RPRX - Free Report) by 9.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 646,246 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after selling 68,924 shares during the quarter. Marathon Asset Management Ltd owned 0.11% of Royalty Pharma worth $20,117,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV raised its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 48,481 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $1,238,000 after buying an additional 349 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in Royalty Pharma by 21.8% in the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,074 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Royalty Pharma by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC now owns 34,891 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $890,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in shares of Royalty Pharma by 76.4% during the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 956 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Royalty Pharma by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 110,637 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $2,822,000 after purchasing an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. 54.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Royalty Pharma Stock Up 1.7%

RPRX traded up $0.60 during trading on Friday, hitting $35.87. The company had a trading volume of 3,740,759 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,678,234. Royalty Pharma PLC has a 1-year low of $24.05 and a 1-year high of $36.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The company has a market cap of $20.17 billion, a PE ratio of 19.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a 50-day moving average of $33.47 and a 200-day moving average of $31.55.

Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ:RPRX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.99 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $839.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $724.69 million. Royalty Pharma had a net margin of 48.23% and a return on equity of 24.71%. As a group, analysts forecast that Royalty Pharma PLC will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Royalty Pharma Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.45%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 16th. Royalty Pharma's dividend payout ratio is presently 47.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on RPRX. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Royalty Pharma in a research note on Friday, May 16th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $51.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded Royalty Pharma from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 21st. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Royalty Pharma in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $47.33.

About Royalty Pharma

Royalty Pharma plc operates as a buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a funder of innovations in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States. It is also involved in the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of royalties on various biopharmaceutical therapies. In addition, the company collaborates with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and not-for-profits, small and mid-cap biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies.