AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Acquired by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 250,986 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,904 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $19,256,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AZN. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 45.3% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,756,000 after buying an additional 11,690 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 88.1% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 18,973 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,326,000 after acquiring an additional 8,886 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 11.0% in the second quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 3,948 shares of the company’s stock worth $276,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares during the period. Finally, William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 16.7% during the second quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 32,877 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,297,000 after acquiring an additional 4,698 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 1.9%

NASDAQ:AZN opened at $209.39 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $117.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $94.95. The company has a market cap of $324.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $122.48 and a 52-week high of $211.27. 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 Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a $1.595 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 165.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio is 74.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the subject of several recent research reports. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

About AstraZeneca

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.