AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Shares Purchased by WCM Investment Management LLC

WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 7.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,003,070 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 272,537 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC owned 0.13% of AstraZeneca worth $295,387,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Confluence Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the first quarter worth $29,000. Banque Transatlantique SA bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 447.4% during the first quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 416 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. Finally, Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AZN traded down $0.33 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $71.13. 3,676,111 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,227,080. The firm has a market capitalization of $220.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $70.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $70.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.70. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $61.24 and a twelve month high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion during 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 company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.06 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $85.00.

AstraZeneca 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.