Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on AZN. Weiss Ratings started coverage on Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. They set a “buy (b)” rating for the company. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. HSBC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:AZN opened at $188.76 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market cap of $292.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.82, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.32. Astrazeneca has a 52-week low of $122.48 and a 52-week high of $212.71.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Astrazeneca

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. World Investment Advisors raised its holdings in Astrazeneca by 108.9% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 27,098 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,756,000 after acquiring an additional 14,127 shares during the period. Farmers National Bank bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth approximately $411,000. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $648,000. Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,013,000. Finally, Advisortrust Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth approximately $519,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.