Morgan Stanley Downgrades Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) to Equal Weight

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley downgraded Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) from "overweight" to "equal weight," and Barclays made a similar move; the stock's consensus rating is currently Hold with an average price target of $54.00.
• Sanofi shares fell about 0.9% to $46.14 on Friday, valuing the company at roughly $112.5 billion with a P/E of 12.89 and a 52‑week range of $43.32–$55.73.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—two Strong Buy, three Buy, nine Hold and one Sell—reflecting divergent views despite upgrades from firms like Sanford C. Bernstein.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report issued on Friday.

SNY has been the subject of a number of other reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Sanofi to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Sanofi in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Sanofi from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Argus raised shares of Sanofi to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Barclays lowered shares of Sanofi from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $54.00.

Sanofi Stock Down 0.9%

NASDAQ SNY traded down $0.44 on Friday, reaching $46.14. The company had a trading volume of 1,896,399 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,822,255. The firm has a market capitalization of $112.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 1.01. Sanofi has a 1-year low of $43.32 and a 1-year high of $55.73. The company's fifty day moving average is $46.39 and its 200-day moving average is $47.91.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sanofi

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sanofi during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Sanofi during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sanofi by 180.5% during the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 589 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares in the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG raised its stake in shares of Sanofi by 95.8% during the 1st quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 607 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sanofi during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 14.03% of the company's stock.

About Sanofi

Sanofi NASDAQ: SNY is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in France that researches, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and consumer healthcare products. The company operates across multiple therapeutic areas, including immunology, rare diseases, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and vaccines through its Sanofi Pasteur division. Sanofi sells products to hospitals, clinics, governments and retail pharmacies, with a broad global footprint and significant presence in Europe, North America and emerging markets.

Key commercial offerings include specialty biologics and established small-molecule medicines.

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