OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Makes New $4.03 Million Investment in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 61,447 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,026,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB bought a new stake in AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $754,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,402 shares of the company's stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 9,487 shares of the company's stock valued at $622,000 after buying an additional 1,949 shares during the period. Oak Ridge Investments LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 143,973 shares of the company's stock worth $9,433,000 after buying an additional 7,341 shares during the period. Finally, Asio Capital LLC lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 11.6% during the fourth quarter. Asio Capital LLC now owns 53,541 shares of the company's stock worth $3,508,000 after acquiring an additional 5,569 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of AstraZeneca stock opened at $68.95 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $213.83 billion, a PE ratio of 30.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.40. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $71.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.93. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.14. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $13.71 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.06 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. BNP Paribas began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of AstraZeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $88.00.

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.

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