GF Fund Management CO. LTD. Sells 3,770 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

GF Fund Management CO. LTD. reduced its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 2.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 129,842 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,770 shares during the period. GF Fund Management CO. LTD.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $9,961,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Primecap Management Co. CA lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 41,200,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,879,062,000 after buying an additional 538,606 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 0.9% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,298,394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,488,332,000 after acquiring an additional 196,401 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 2.6% during the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 20,695,979 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,446,235,000 after acquiring an additional 530,520 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 15.2% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $850,255,000 after purchasing an additional 1,605,133 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 2.1% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,046,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,734,000 after purchasing an additional 104,625 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ AZN opened at $205.47 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $318.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 68.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company’s 50 day moving average is $112.72 and its 200-day moving average is $92.95. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $206.71.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 165.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led 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’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.