Axa S.A. Grows Position in Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX)

AXA S.A. lifted its holdings in Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX - Free Report) by 761.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 156,131 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock after purchasing an additional 138,017 shares during the period. AXA S.A.'s holdings in Royalty Pharma were worth $3,983,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma by 5.0% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,460,515 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $40,705,000 after acquiring an additional 70,130 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Royalty Pharma by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,131,628 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $79,888,000 after purchasing an additional 130,025 shares in the last quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royalty Pharma in the fourth quarter worth about $2,355,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Royalty Pharma during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,950,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Royalty Pharma by 303.4% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 539,995 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $13,926,000 after acquiring an additional 406,123 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.35% of the company's stock.

Royalty Pharma Price Performance

Shares of Royalty Pharma stock traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $33.15. 4,354,648 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,304,626. The business has a fifty day moving average of $32.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $19.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.49. Royalty Pharma plc has a 1 year low of $24.05 and a 1 year high of $34.20.

Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ:RPRX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $839.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $724.69 million. Royalty Pharma had a net margin of 37.94% and a return on equity of 24.40%. As a group, research analysts predict that Royalty Pharma plc will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Royalty Pharma Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.65%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 16th. Royalty Pharma's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 60.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Royalty Pharma in a research note on Friday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Royalty Pharma currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.50.

Royalty Pharma Profile

Royalty Pharma plc operates as a buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a funder of innovations in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States. It is also involved in the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of royalties on various biopharmaceutical therapies. In addition, the company collaborates with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and not-for-profits, small and mid-cap biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies.