AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) Rating Increased to Hold at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) was upgraded by analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on AZN. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of AstraZeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. HSBC initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, December 18th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $80.00.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.4 %

AstraZeneca stock opened at $68.53 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca has a twelve month low of $60.47 and a twelve month high of $76.56. The business has a fifty day moving average of $66.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.85. The firm has a market cap of $212.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by ($0.01). AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 30.19% and a net margin of 13.00%. The company had revenue of $12.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.69 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that AstraZeneca will post 4.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in AstraZeneca by 4,875.0% during the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the period. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

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.