MQS Management LLC Purchases Shares of 5,748 AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 5,748 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $422,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 58.4% during the first quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 13,055 shares of the company's stock valued at $960,000 after purchasing an additional 4,811 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 498,831 shares of the company's stock worth $32,683,000 after buying an additional 5,384 shares in the last quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter worth about $28,071,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 13.1% in the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 6,083 shares of the company's stock worth $442,000 after buying an additional 706 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.8% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 311,600 shares of the company's stock worth $22,903,000 after buying an additional 5,557 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of AZN stock traded down $1.40 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $70.34. The company had a trading volume of 1,014,929 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,301,683. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock's 50-day moving average is $70.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $218.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.37. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $61.24 and a 52 week high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.71 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 14.14% and a return on equity of 33.14%. AstraZeneca's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.06 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $89.00.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.