Compound Global Advisors LLC Buys New Position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Compound Global Advisors LLC bought a new position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 4,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $262,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 82.9% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 24,967 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,945,000 after purchasing an additional 11,315 shares in the last quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 43.6% during the 3rd quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 3,703 shares of the company’s stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 1,125 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 90.1% in the third quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 3,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $279,000 after acquiring an additional 1,700 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 12.3% in the third quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 29,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,326,000 after acquiring an additional 3,270 shares during the period. Finally, Stablepoint Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 0.8% during the third quarter. Stablepoint Partners LLC now owns 21,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,709,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.9 %

NASDAQ AZN opened at $72.66 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.56. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $60.47 and a 12 month high of $87.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $225.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.15, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.46.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.55%. On average, analysts predict that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be paid a $1.03 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is an increase from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 43.36%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on AZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. UBS Group raised shares of AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.75.

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.