Vontobel Holding Ltd. Makes New Investment in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Vontobel Holding Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 9,891 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $727,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Mather Group LLC. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 9.0% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 3,253 shares of the company's stock valued at $239,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the period. Smith Salley Wealth Management raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 3.8% in the first quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 16,795 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,234,000 after purchasing an additional 622 shares during the period. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 11.6% in the first quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. now owns 16,544 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,724 shares during the period. Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 4.0% in the first quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 24,419 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,794,000 after purchasing an additional 949 shares during the period. Finally, Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 5.3% in the first quarter. Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida now owns 4,396 shares of the company's stock valued at $323,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN stock traded up $0.18 on Monday, hitting $69.63. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,441,431 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,261,087. 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 stock's 50 day moving average is $70.78 and its 200-day moving average is $70.68. AstraZeneca PLC has a fifty-two week low of $61.24 and a fifty-two week high of $87.68. The company has a market capitalization of $215.94 billion, a PE ratio of 27.96, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.37.

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