Yousif Capital Management LLC Decreases Stake in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Key Points

• Yousif Capital Management trimmed its AstraZeneca stake by 18.0% in Q4, selling 6,065 shares and ending the period with 27,713 shares valued at $2.49 million.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans positive: nine analysts rate AZN a Buy, one a Sell, giving a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.75.
• AstraZeneca trades with a market cap of $316.5 billion, a P/E of 35.16 and a 12‑month range of $128.89–$212.71, and recently paid a $1.595 per‑share dividend (ex‑dividend Feb. 20) with a payout ratio of 74.83%.

Yousif Capital Management LLC reduced its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN - Free Report) by 18.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,713 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,065 shares during the period. Yousif Capital Management LLC's holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $2,493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Binnacle Investments Inc raised its position in Astrazeneca by 21.8% during the third quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 660 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Chapin Davis Inc. raised its position in Astrazeneca by 3.3% during the third quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 3,795 shares of the company's stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. 44 Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Astrazeneca by 0.7% during the third quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC now owns 16,722 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,283,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its position in Astrazeneca by 30.6% during the third quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 534 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Astrazeneca by 32.0% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 532 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AZN. Citigroup started coverage on Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "sell" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Astrazeneca from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

NYSE AZN opened at $204.09 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $316.52 billion, a PE ratio of 35.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.35. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12 month low of $128.89 and a 12 month high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca's dividend payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

Astrazeneca Company Profile

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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