AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Shares Purchased by Valicenti Advisory Services Inc.

Valicenti Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 1.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 75,803 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,270 shares during the period. AstraZeneca makes up about 1.5% of Valicenti Advisory Services Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Valicenti Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $5,906,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 17.2% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 61,271,974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,151,177,000 after acquiring an additional 9,002,450 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 1st quarter valued at $186,127,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at $188,476,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 750.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,283,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $100,523,000 after acquiring an additional 1,132,362 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farallon Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 950,000 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $75.90 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $80.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $60.47 and a 12-month high of $87.68. The company has a market cap of $235.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.46.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.01. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.11% and a return on equity of 29.34%. The business had revenue of $12.45 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.08 earnings per share. AstraZeneca’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on AstraZeneca from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank raised shares of AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.75.

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.