SageView Advisory Group LLC Acquires New Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• SageView Advisory Group LLC opened a new position in AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) in Q3, purchasing 23,590 shares valued at about $1.81 million.
• Wall Street consensus is a Moderate Buy, with nine analysts rating the stock as Buy and one as Sell and an average price target of $95.75.
• AstraZeneca announced a $1.595 dividend payable March 23 to shareholders of record on February 20 (ex-dividend date February 20); the report cites a dividend yield of 156.0% and a payout ratio of 66.26%.

SageView Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 23,590 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,810,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 376.0% during the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 144.0% during the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abound Wealth Management grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 1,767.9% in the third quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 523 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. HSBC restated a "buy" rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "sell" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Down 1.0%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $193.09 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $152.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $108.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.88. AstraZeneca PLC has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $212.71. The stock has a market cap of $299.47 billion, a PE ratio of 64.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be given 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%.

AstraZeneca Profile

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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