Trium Capital LLP Invests $7.54 Million in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Trium Capital LLP acquired a new position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 102,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,544,000. AstraZeneca accounts for about 0.9% of Trium Capital LLP's portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 53.9% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 404,070 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,475,000 after purchasing an additional 141,517 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 10,806 shares of the company's stock valued at $708,000 after purchasing an additional 598 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,026,000. Finally, American Assets Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $426,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, BNP Paribas began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $85.00.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AstraZeneca stock traded up $0.99 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $71.81. 4,045,629 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,272,077. The company's fifty day moving average is $70.75 and its 200-day moving average is $70.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.90. The firm has a market cap of $222.71 billion, a PE ratio of 28.84, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.37. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $61.24 and a 52 week high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $13.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.71 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 14.14% and a return on equity of 33.14%. AstraZeneca's revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.06 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.