Brian Low Financial Group LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Brian Low Financial Group LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 45.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,162 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,731 shares during the period. Astrazeneca comprises 1.2% of Brian Low Financial Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. Brian Low Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $1,807,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of AZN. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Reflection Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new position in Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on AZN. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Shares of AZN opened at $182.98 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $185.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $186.69. Astrazeneca Plc has a fifty-two week low of $137.23 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $283.78 billion, a PE ratio of 27.47, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.25.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. Equities analysts predict that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.