Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $211.00.

AZN has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th.

Astrazeneca Price Performance

Shares of AZN stock traded down $6.63 during trading on Friday, hitting $171.86. The company had a trading volume of 3,594,756 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,047,245. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $266.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.24. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $183.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $188.59. Astrazeneca has a one year low of $137.23 and a one year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts expect that Astrazeneca will post 10.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Wainua’s Phase 3 failure removes a potential growth driver and raises concerns about AstraZeneca’s ability to expand successfully beyond oncology. Reuters: AstraZeneca-Ionis drug fails to meet main goal in late-stage heart disease trial
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports say the miss has hurt management credibility and triggered a sharp market selloff, with investors reassessing the value of AstraZeneca’s pipeline. Proactive Investors: AstraZeneca’s Wainua failure hurts credibility more than valuation, Jefferies warns
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts still maintained a constructive view, with Bernstein reportedly reiterating a buy rating despite the setback, suggesting the longer-term thesis is not fully broken. Globe and Mail/Bernstein note: AstraZeneca receives a Buy from Bernstein
• Negative Sentiment: Investor concern has also expanded into legal overhangs, with a pending investigation notice adding another source of pressure on the stock. PR Newswire: AstraZeneca Investigation Notice

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Astrazeneca

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Investors Research Corp acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter worth $122,000. Spinnaker Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in Astrazeneca by 3.8% in the second quarter. Spinnaker Investment Group LLC now owns 2,899 shares of the company’s stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its stake in Astrazeneca by 13.7% in the second quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 8,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,573,000 after buying an additional 999 shares in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC bought a new position in Astrazeneca in the second quarter valued at about $2,296,000. Finally, Paladin Wealth LLC bought a new position in Astrazeneca in the second quarter valued at about $314,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.