Zions Bancorporation N.A. Raises Position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 54.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,107 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,775 shares during the quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $1,252,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 68.9% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Crews Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN opened at $73.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $226.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.32, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.74. AstraZeneca PLC has a one year low of $62.75 and a one year high of $87.68. The business has a fifty day moving average of $73.15 and a 200 day moving average of $71.77.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 21st. This is a boost from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 91.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on AZN. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $89.75.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company’s marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.