Pure Financial Advisors LLC Buys New Position in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• Pure Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca, purchasing 3,220 shares valued at approximately $225,000 in the second quarter.
• Equity analysts currently rate AstraZeneca with an average of "Moderate Buy" and have set an average target price of $86.00, with four analysts suggesting a Buy rating.
• AstraZeneca reported $1.09 EPS for the last quarter, meeting analysts' estimates, and saw a 16.1% year-over-year revenue increase to $14.46 billion.

Pure Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 3,220 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $225,000.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of AZN. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 297.9% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 386 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 447.4% during the 1st quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on AZN shares. Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 target price on AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.00.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 2.0%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $85.31 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $78.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $73.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $61.24 and a twelve month high of $85.50. The company has a market capitalization of $264.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.36.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 14.68% and a return on equity of 32.84%. The company had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.24 EPS. AstraZeneca's revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

AstraZeneca Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 8th were paid a dividend of $0.505 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 8th. This represents a dividend yield of 200.0%. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio is presently 37.97%.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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.

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