Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Makes New Investment in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 23,726 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,820,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 149.3% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 59.8% during the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its position in AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the second quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 376 shares in the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the second quarter worth about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on AZN shares. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Monday, October 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut AstraZeneca from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised AstraZeneca from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

NASDAQ:AZN opened at $95.16 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $89.85 and its 200 day moving average is $81.64. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $61.24 and a 12 month high of $96.51. The company has a market capitalization of $295.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.05. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.89% and a net margin of 16.17%.The business had revenue of $15.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.08 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, England. Formed through the 1999 merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the UK’s Zeneca Group, the company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines across a range of therapeutic areas. AstraZeneca’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.