AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) Upgraded to Hold by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on AZN. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an overweight rating for the company. HSBC started coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, December 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded AstraZeneca from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $80.00.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ:AZN opened at $68.36 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $211.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.60, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50 day moving average of $66.12 and a 200 day moving average of $65.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.64. AstraZeneca has a 1-year low of $60.47 and a 1-year high of $76.56.

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

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 25th. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.965 per share. This represents a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 22nd. This is an increase from AstraZeneca’s previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.47. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is currently 100.52%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AstraZeneca

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AZN. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 4,875.0% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 390 shares during the period. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.