Private Advisor Group LLC Boosts Stock Position in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• Private Advisor Group LLC increased its AstraZeneca stake by 8.1% in Q3, adding 7,646 shares to hold 102,490 shares valued at about $7.86 million.
• AstraZeneca declared a dividend of $1.595 per share payable on March 23 to shareholders of record on February 20, with the ex-dividend date on February 20.
• Analysts show a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" on AZN (nine Buys, one Sell) with an average target price of $95.75, and recent buy-rated coverage from firms including Citigroup and HSBC.

Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 8.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 102,490 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,646 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $7,863,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 144.0% in the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the second quarter valued at about $33,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the second quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 376 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abound Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 1,767.9% in the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 523 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. HSBC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AZN stock opened at $193.09 on Thursday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $122.48 and a 52 week high of $212.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $299.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 64.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $152.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.26%.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led 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's operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.

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