Bellevue Group AG Sells 33,000 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Bellevue Group AG reduced its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 39.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,600 shares of the company’s stock after selling 33,000 shares during the quarter. Bellevue Group AG’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $3,475,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 15.5% in the third quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 61,866 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,167,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. Drive Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,911 shares of the company’s stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. GM Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. GM Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,015 shares of the company’s stock worth $338,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Finally, Glenview Trust co increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 4,724 shares of the company’s stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 174 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of AstraZeneca from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, May 30th. They set a “buy” rating and a $97.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Argus raised their price target on shares of AstraZeneca from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $88.00.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AZN stock opened at $78.98 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $244.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.89. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $60.47 and a 52-week high of $80.86. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.96.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $12.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.92 billion. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 30.42% and a net margin of 13.30%. Research analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company's marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.