AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is £143.33.

A number of research analysts have commented on AZN shares. Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on shares of AstraZeneca from £142 to £145 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Citigroup began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a £170 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a £150 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Shore Capital reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, January 16th.

Insider Transactions at AstraZeneca

In other AstraZeneca news, insider Nazneen Rahman sold 297 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of £134.96, for a total value of £40,083.12. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN traded up GBX 128 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching £138.80. 1,418,644 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 71,739,250. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is £137.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is £125.30. The stock has a market capitalization of £215.18 billion, a PE ratio of 23.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17. AstraZeneca has a 52-week low of GBX 9,573.51 and a 52-week high of £144.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.59.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.
Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.