Yousif Capital Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Yousif Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 13.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 30,998 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,845 shares during the quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $2,278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 93.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 153.5% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 153,695 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,125,000 after buying an additional 93,071 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 459,560 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,110,000 after buying an additional 14,768 shares during the period. Asset Planning Inc bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $66,000. Finally, Center for Financial Planning Inc. grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 57.5% during the 4th quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 1,057 shares of the company's stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 386 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of AZN stock traded down $0.12 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $70.85. The company had a trading volume of 2,302,255 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,193,195. The stock's 50-day moving average is $70.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. 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 released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.14. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 33.14% and a net margin of 14.14%. The business had revenue of $13.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.71 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.06 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.