Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Shares Sold by Bessemer Group Inc.

Bessemer Group Inc. reduced its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 3.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 102,696 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,399 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $18,023,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AZN. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 102.7% in the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

AZN opened at $181.62 on Friday. 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 company has a market cap of $281.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.26. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52-week low of $136.16 and a 52-week high of $212.71. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $192.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $182.04.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted 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 business had revenue of $15.29 billion for 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on AZN. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday. Barclays raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, April 10th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $205.33.

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.