Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Purchases 37,458 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Key Points

• Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. significantly increased its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC by 122.5%, acquiring an additional 37,458 shares during the first quarter.
• AstraZeneca's latest earnings report indicated earnings per share of $1.09, meeting analysts' expectations, with a revenue growth of 16.1% compared to the previous year.
• The company announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.505 per share, with a payout ratio of 37.97%, while also facing analysts setting a target price of $97.00 for its stock.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. boosted its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 122.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 68,040 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 37,458 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.'s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $5,001,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 58.4% during the first quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 13,055 shares of the company's stock worth $960,000 after buying an additional 4,811 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 498,831 shares of the company's stock worth $32,683,000 after purchasing an additional 5,384 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 13.1% in the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 6,083 shares of the company's stock worth $442,000 after purchasing an additional 706 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 1.8% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 311,600 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,903,000 after acquiring an additional 5,557 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 74.5% in the 4th quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 36,300 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,378,000 after purchasing an additional 15,499 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.5%

NASDAQ:AZN traded up $0.3730 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $79.4930. The company had a trading volume of 2,366,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,293,179. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $72.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The company has a market capitalization of $246.54 billion, a PE ratio of 29.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.36. 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 announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.09. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 14.68% and a return on equity of 32.84%. The firm had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.24 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.505 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 8th. This represents a yield of 200.0%. AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio is currently 37.97%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Berenberg Bank set a $97.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $86.00.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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.