Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $205.3333.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on AZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Astrazeneca from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Astrazeneca

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter worth $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Bangor Savings Bank raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 102.7% during the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Finally, Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AZN opened at $194.96 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $183.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $187.95. Astrazeneca has a 1-year low of $137.23 and a 1-year high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $302.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%. Analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca will post 10.28 earnings per share for the current year.

About Astrazeneca

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.