Blueshift Asset Management LLC Buys 912 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Blueshift Asset Management LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 26.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,355 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 912 shares during the quarter. Blueshift Asset Management LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in AZN. iA Global Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 148,153 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,707,000 after buying an additional 6,914 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Group LLC now owns 50,912 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,336,000 after acquiring an additional 3,917 shares during the period. Sandy Spring Bank increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 18.4% during the 4th quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 82,617 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,413,000 after purchasing an additional 12,811 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 27.8% in the 4th quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 34,270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,245,000 after purchasing an additional 7,447 shares during the period. Finally, Xponance Inc. lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 3,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $212,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Trading Down 2.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $74.93 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $232.37 billion, a PE ratio of 33.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $62.75 and a 12-month high of $87.68. The business has a 50 day moving average of $72.83 and a 200-day moving average of $72.10.

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 the consensus estimate 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, equities research analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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.