AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Receives $89.75 Average PT from Analysts

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $89.75.

A number of brokerages recently commented on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in AstraZeneca by 109.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 3,071,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $238,397,000 after buying an additional 1,605,758 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 8.7% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 19,122,675 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,492,649,000 after acquiring an additional 1,522,715 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in AstraZeneca by 750.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,283,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,523,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132,362 shares during the last quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC increased its stake in AstraZeneca by 65.1% during the 2nd quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 2,409,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,934,000 after purchasing an additional 950,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Erste Asset Management GmbH purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the third quarter worth $72,437,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $66.26 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $205.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.70, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $67.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $75.77. AstraZeneca has a one year low of $60.47 and a one year high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.03. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 12.68% and a return on equity of 30.01%. The business had revenue of $13.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.08 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.87 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca will post 4.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About AstraZeneca

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.