Sigma Planning Corp Buys 5,917 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Sigma Planning Corp increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 128.5%, purchasing an additional 5,917 shares in Q4 to own 10,520 shares valued at about $967,000.
• Analysts are largely positive with 12 Buy ratings versus 1 Sell, giving AstraZeneca a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $205.33.
• AstraZeneca beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.58 vs. $2.52; revenue $15.29B vs. $14.93B), paid a $1.595 dividend on March 23, and trades around $183 with a 52‑week range of $132.32–$212.71.

Sigma Planning Corp lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 128.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,520 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,917 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $967,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 102.7% in the fourth quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on AZN. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE AZN opened at $183.27 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52 week low of $132.32 and a 52 week high of $212.71. The firm's fifty day moving average is $196.02 and its 200 day moving average is $180.36. The company has a market cap of $284.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.52, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.26.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.93 billion. On average, equities research analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca's payout ratio is 73.43%.

Astrazeneca Company 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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