SageView Advisory Group LLC Purchases Shares of 23,590 AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

SageView Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 23,590 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,810,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 45.3% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 11,690 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 5.7% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 8,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $603,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 11.7% in the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $755,000 after purchasing an additional 1,129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.8% in the first quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 19,048 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,400,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 1.0%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $193.09 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $152.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $108.82. 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 firm has a market cap of $299.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $122.48 and a 52 week high of $212.71.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Company 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.