Wall Street Zen Upgrades Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) to Buy

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded AstraZeneca from "hold" to "buy", joining multiple firms in a bullish shift — 11 analysts rate AZN a Buy versus 1 Sell, with a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" and a $205.33 target.
• Q1 beat expectations: AstraZeneca reported $2.58 EPS vs. $2.52 consensus and $15.29B revenue vs. $14.93B, with a market cap around $286B and a P/E near 31.
• Near‑term regulatory and sell‑side risks persist: an FDA advisory panel voted against camizestrant for first‑line HR+ breast cancer and Deutsche Bank maintains a sell rating, tempering some upgrade momentum.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Weiss Ratings began coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy (b)" rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Thursday. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays upgraded Astrazeneca from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE AZN opened at $184.63 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $196.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $286.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.26. Astrazeneca has a 1 year low of $132.32 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.93 billion. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca will post 10.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Astrazeneca

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 102.7% in the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Astrazeneca News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded AZN from "neutral" to "buy", citing favorable risk/reward at the current level which can support upside as late‑year pipeline readouts approach. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank also upgraded AZN to "buy", adding analyst endorsement momentum that can help stabilize the stock after recent weakness. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised 2026 core EPS forecasts and reiterated a "buy" rating, highlighting the company’s Q1 beat and a pipeline-rich second half — a catalyst narrative that could support medium‑term upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Independent outlets (24/7 Wall St.) reiterated a bullish thesis, noting more than 20 Phase III readouts ahead and a price target implying meaningful upside — adds to longer‑term investor confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca exercised an option to license Pinetree’s EGFR degrader program (PTX‑299), triggering a $25M payment — a small near‑term cash outflow for potentially valuable oncology IP and collaboration upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 6‑3 against recommending camizestrant for a first‑line HR+ breast cancer setting, citing trial‑design/benefit‑risk concerns — this is the primary near‑term negative driver and increases regulatory risk for a key oncology asset. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Deutsche Bank reaffirmed a "sell" rating, keeping a portion of the sell‑side negative pressure on the stock despite other upgrades. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY‑2026 EPS estimate slightly, a reminder that some analysts are tightening near‑term EPS assumptions even after the Q1 beat. Read More.

Astrazeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the UK’s Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.