Capital International Inc. CA Sells 235,597 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Capital International Inc. CA lowered its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 52.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 213,141 shares of the company’s stock after selling 235,597 shares during the period. Capital International Inc. CA’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $37,406,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 15,620 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,741,000 after acquiring an additional 1,954 shares in the last quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 162.1% during the fourth quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. now owns 49,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,645,000 after acquiring an additional 2,605 shares in the last quarter. 111 Capital raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. 111 Capital now owns 5,259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $923,000 after acquiring an additional 523 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Argonautica Private Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 48.5% during the fourth quarter. Argonautica Private Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,362 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,292,000 after acquiring an additional 2,403 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $186.06 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $288.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.25. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52 week low of $137.23 and a 52 week high of $212.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $190.84 and a 200 day moving average of $185.12.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.