China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Acquires 25,213 Shares of Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY)

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY - Free Report) by 348.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,456 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 25,213 shares during the quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Sanofi were worth $1,614,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in Sanofi in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Sanofi by 31.3% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 440,646 shares of the company's stock worth $22,623,000 after acquiring an additional 105,046 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Sanofi by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 24,613 shares of the company's stock worth $1,264,000 after acquiring an additional 2,805 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Sanofi by 45.2% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 42,041 shares of the company's stock worth $2,158,000 after acquiring an additional 13,095 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Sanofi by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 300,009 shares of the company's stock worth $15,402,000 after acquiring an additional 1,391 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 10.04% of the company's stock.

Sanofi Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:SNY traded down $0.16 during trading on Thursday, reaching $47.80. 1,757,307 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,829,461. Sanofi has a fifty-two week low of $42.63 and a fifty-two week high of $57.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market cap of $120.92 billion, a PE ratio of 20.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.19.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.94 by ($0.05). Sanofi had a return on equity of 27.47% and a net margin of 12.56%. The firm had revenue of $11.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.02 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Sanofi will post 4.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Sanofi Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 6th. Investors of record on Friday, May 10th will be issued a $1.478 dividend. This represents a yield of 2.98%. This is a boost from Sanofi's previous annual dividend of $1.38. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 9th. Sanofi's payout ratio is presently 58.47%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SNY has been the topic of several analyst reports. TheStreet downgraded Sanofi from a "b" rating to a "c" rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Sanofi in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Sanofi from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $55.00.

Sanofi Company Profile

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.