Pinkerton Wealth LLC Increases Stock Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Pinkerton Wealth LLC boosted its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 7.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 70,802 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,957 shares during the quarter. Pinkerton Wealth LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $5,432,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Fayez Sarofim & Co lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 173.4% during the second quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,032 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 64.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,373,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487,662 shares in the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter worth about $96,936,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 27.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,824,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $370,103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048,738 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 68.2% in the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 1,899,502 shares of the company’s stock valued at $145,730,000 after buying an additional 770,417 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AZN stock opened at $195.00 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $122.48 and a 52-week high of $212.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market cap of $302.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The business has a fifty day moving average of $148.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $107.42.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Profile

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led 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’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.