Erste Asset Management GmbH Sells 29,313 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Erste Asset Management GmbH cut its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 2.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 982,648 shares of the company’s stock after selling 29,313 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $72,844,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. 1ST Source Bank purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the third quarter worth about $201,000. TIAA Trust National Association grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 12,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $942,000 after buying an additional 579 shares in the last quarter. Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the third quarter valued at approximately $209,000. Diversify Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the third quarter worth $234,000. Finally, Xponance Inc. boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 18.5% during the third quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 4,189 shares of the company’s stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 654 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on AZN shares. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Citigroup began coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of AZN stock opened at $203.56 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $315.70 billion, a PE ratio of 67.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $133.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $101.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is currently 74.83%.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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.