Nomura Holdings Inc. Reduces Position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Nomura Holdings Inc. lowered its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 65.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 68,221 shares of the company's stock after selling 127,159 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc.'s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $4,470,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 68.9% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 642 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZN has been the topic of several recent research reports. UBS Group upgraded AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $88.00.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of AZN traded up $0.88 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $69.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,315,941 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,186,266. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $61.24 and a 12-month high of $87.68. The stock has a market cap of $216.13 billion, a PE ratio of 30.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The company's 50 day moving average is $70.46 and its 200 day moving average is $69.44.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $13.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.71 billion. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 13.01%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.06 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.