Capital International Inc. CA Boosts Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Capital International Inc. CA boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 448,738 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 18,059 shares during the quarter. Capital International Inc. CA’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $34,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 344.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,478,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $266,841,000 after acquiring an additional 2,695,793 shares during the last quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the second quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,032 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 64.8% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,373,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487,662 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new position in AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter worth $96,936,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 27.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,824,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $370,103,000 after buying an additional 1,048,738 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ AZN opened at $195.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $302.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $148.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $107.42.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on AZN shares. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.