AstraZeneca Plc $AZN Shares Newly Purchased by Oakworth Capital Inc.

Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $681,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Amundi lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 6.7% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 16,422,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,114,088,000 after purchasing an additional 1,036,635 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 889.9% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,319,947,000 after purchasing an additional 10,742,268 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 208.6% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,386,455 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,048,417,000 after purchasing an additional 7,021,126 shares in the last quarter. Rathbones Group PLC raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 106,772.0% during the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 8,054,943 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,560,419,000 after purchasing an additional 8,047,406 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 546.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,667,812 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,315,026,000 after buying an additional 5,635,812 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on AZN shares. Nordea Equity Research upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. CICC Research began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $198.00 price target for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $206.67.

AstraZeneca Trading Down 1.2%

AZN stock opened at $170.04 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $263.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.42 and a beta of 0.27. AstraZeneca Plc has a twelve month low of $153.41 and a twelve month high of $212.71. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $163.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $180.39.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $15.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.17 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that AstraZeneca Plc will post 10.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company discovers, develops and commercializes prescription medicines, with a focus on oncology, biopharmaceuticals and rare diseases. Its research and commercial operations serve patients and healthcare systems across more than 100 countries.

AstraZeneca’s portfolio includes medicines for cancer, respiratory and immune-mediated conditions, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, and rare disorders.