6,649 Shares in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Acquired by Westover Capital Advisors LLC

Westover Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 6,649 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $510,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in AZN. Primecap Management Co. CA raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.3% during the second quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 41,200,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,879,062,000 after acquiring an additional 538,606 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in AstraZeneca by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 21,298,394 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,488,332,000 after purchasing an additional 196,401 shares in the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 20,695,979 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,446,235,000 after purchasing an additional 530,520 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 15.2% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $850,255,000 after purchasing an additional 1,605,133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.1% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 5,046,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,734,000 after buying an additional 104,625 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on AZN shares. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 5.6%

NASDAQ:AZN opened at $204.22 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $316.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $108.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $91.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.88. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $122.48 and a 52 week high of $204.92.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 165.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is currently 34.77%.

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.