Signet Financial Management LLC Has $2.69 Million Stock Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Signet Financial Management LLC cut its AstraZeneca stake by 51.1% in the first quarter, leaving it with 13,656 shares valued at about $2.69 million.
• AstraZeneca shares were down 2.9% to $164.55, well below the stock’s 52-week high of $212.71, though the company still carries a market cap of about $255.21 billion.
• The company beat quarterly expectations with $2.58 EPS on $15.29 billion in revenue, and analysts remain broadly positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a target price of $211.

Signet Financial Management LLC reduced its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 51.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,656 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,243 shares during the period. Signet Financial Management LLC's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $2,692,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Astrazeneca by 93.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,756,000 after buying an additional 11,690 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its position 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 in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC lifted its position in Astrazeneca by 898.4% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 559 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 2.9%

Astrazeneca stock opened at $164.55 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1-year low of $137.23 and a 1-year high of $212.71. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $183.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $188.58. The company has a market capitalization of $255.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.24.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AZN has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. HSBC lowered Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, April 10th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $211.00.

Key Stories Impacting Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Negative Sentiment: AstraZeneca is facing investor-law-firm investigations after the Wainua trial miss and the related stock drop, adding headline risk and potential litigation over alleged securities claims. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: HSBC downgraded AstraZeneca and lowered its price target after the Wainua setback, saying the failure removes a central support for the company’s bullish outlook and leaves a tougher catalyst path ahead. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A second investor alert from Levi & Korsinsky highlighted the Wainua phase 3 miss and encouraged shareholders to seek recovery of losses, reinforcing the negative sentiment around the trial failure. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS remained constructive ahead of AstraZeneca’s second-quarter results, saying it expects solid earnings but limited room for full-year guidance increases. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca also announced an exclusive global licensing deal for a lung-cancer pill from China’s Dizal Pharmaceutical, paying $600 million upfront with up to $900 million in milestones. The deal could strengthen its oncology pipeline and supports longer-term growth. Article Title

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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