Keel Point LLC Sells 7,624 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Keel Point LLC decreased its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 72.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,828 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,624 shares during the quarter. Keel Point LLC’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AZN. IHT Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Astrazeneca by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,076,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors boosted its position in Astrazeneca by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors now owns 4,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $737,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Vista Investment Management boosted its position in Astrazeneca by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 21,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,723,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $595,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 1,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE AZN opened at $169.77 on Monday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12 month low of $145.79 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $179.02 and a 200-day moving average of $187.83. The company has a market cap of $263.30 billion, a PE ratio of 25.38, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.26.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The business had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.17 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A combination with Bristol Myers Squibb could create a pharmaceutical company valued at approximately $400 billion, potentially ranking among the world’s largest drugmakers and providing greater scale, a broader product portfolio and possible cost synergies. AstraZeneca in talks with Bristol Myers Squibb on $400 billion megadeal
• Neutral Sentiment: The Financial Times reports that the companies have explored a deal in recent months, citing people familiar with the matter. The discussions may not result in a transaction, leaving the timing, structure and valuation uncertain. AstraZeneca holds talks with Bristol Myers Squibb on potential megadeal
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear concerned that AstraZeneca could need to pay a substantial premium, assume additional debt or issue shares to fund such a large transaction. Regulatory scrutiny, integration challenges and execution risks could also weigh on the stock. Reports indicated a potential one-day decline of about 7%, which would be the company’s steepest since the 2024 U.S. presidential election. AstraZeneca shares drop after report on merger talks
• Negative Sentiment: Separately, AstraZeneca has seen a significant increase in short interest, indicating greater bearish positioning and potentially adding pressure to the shares. AstraZeneca sees significant increase in short interest

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on AZN shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. DZ Bank raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $211.00.

Astrazeneca Profile

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.