Q2 EPS Estimates for AstraZeneca Increased by Zacks Research

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) – Research analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for AstraZeneca in a report issued on Tuesday, May 20th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.21 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.19. The consensus estimate for AstraZeneca’s current full-year earnings is $4.51 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AstraZeneca’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.28 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $4.95 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on AZN. UBS Group upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. BNP Paribas began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $88.00.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.7%

NASDAQ AZN opened at $70.41 on Friday. AstraZeneca has a 12 month low of $61.24 and a 12 month high of $87.68. The company has a market capitalization of $218.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.16, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.40. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $69.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $13.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.06 EPS. AstraZeneca’s revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 87.2% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 8,840 shares of the company’s stock valued at $579,000 after purchasing an additional 4,117 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its position in AstraZeneca by 25.9% during the fourth 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. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 36.5% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,665 shares of the company’s stock worth $175,000 after acquiring an additional 712 shares during the period. Finally, Koshinski Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,933 shares of the company’s stock valued at $454,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

About AstraZeneca

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.