Pursuit Wealth Management LLC Takes Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Pursuit Wealth Management initiated a new position in AstraZeneca in Q4, buying 6,917 shares worth approximately $636,000.
• Analyst coverage is mixed but generally positive: eight analysts rate the stock a Buy and one a Sell, giving an overall consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $102.67.
• AstraZeneca trades with a market cap of about $311.95 billion and a P/E of 34.65, and recently paid a dividend of $1.595 per share (ex-dividend date Feb 20; paid Mar 23).

Pursuit Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 6,917 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $636,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 93.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock worth $379,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Astrazeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company's stock worth $2,756,000 after buying an additional 11,690 shares during the period. Amundi increased its holdings in Astrazeneca by 54.4% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 10,274 shares of the company's stock worth $731,000 after buying an additional 3,618 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC raised its position in Astrazeneca by 898.4% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 33,478 shares of the company's stock worth $2,339,000 after buying an additional 30,125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 46,642 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,259,000 after acquiring an additional 559 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings started coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy (b)" rating for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $102.67.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AZN opened at $201.14 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $311.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.65, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1 year low of $132.32 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.83%.

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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