GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. Invests $1.58 Million in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

GKV Capital Management Co. Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 9,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,580,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Bangor Savings Bank raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 102.7% during the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Monday, May 4th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings started coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They set a “buy (b)” rating on the stock. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 0.7%

NYSE:AZN opened at $176.28 on Thursday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1 year low of $137.23 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The stock has a market cap of $273.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.47, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.25. The business has a fifty day moving average of $190.88 and a 200-day moving average of $184.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.91.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The company had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.93 billion. Equities analysts predict that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Astrazeneca 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.