Sanders Capital LLC Sells 468,180 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Sanders Capital LLC trimmed its AstraZeneca stake by 3.2% in Q3, selling 468,180 shares and leaving it with 14,058,682 shares (about 0.45% of AZN, valued at $1,078,582,000), making AZN its 23rd-largest holding and ~1.3% of the firm's portfolio.
• Analyst sentiment is largely positive: nine analysts rate AZN a Buy and one a Sell, giving a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.75.
• AstraZeneca declared a dividend of $1.595 per share payable March 23 to shareholders of record on February 20 (ex-dividend date February 20); the report lists a yield of 156.0% and a payout ratio of 66.26%.

Sanders Capital LLC cut its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,058,682 shares of the company's stock after selling 468,180 shares during the quarter. Astrazeneca comprises about 1.3% of Sanders Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Sanders Capital LLC owned 0.45% of Astrazeneca worth $1,078,582,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Chapin Davis Inc. lifted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 3.3% in the third quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 3,795 shares of the company's stock valued at $291,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 30.6% during the 3rd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 534 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 532 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC now owns 4,115 shares of the company's stock worth $316,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 21,215 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,628,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on AZN shares. Barclays restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings began coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday. They set a "buy (b)" rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $103.00 price objective on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Astrazeneca presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $190.20 on Friday. 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 twelve month low of $122.48 and a twelve month high of $212.71. The company has a market cap of $294.98 billion, a PE ratio of 29.04, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.32.

Astrazeneca Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. Astrazeneca's payout ratio is 66.26%.

About Astrazeneca

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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