Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Stock Position in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 9.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,805,896 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 582,183 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $521,517,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fayez Sarofim & Co raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the second quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,764,000 after buying an additional 2,376,032 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its stake in AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,798,000 after acquiring an additional 1,961,764 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in AstraZeneca by 64.8% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $264,373,000 after acquiring an additional 1,487,662 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter worth $96,936,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 27.8% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,824,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $370,103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048,738 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.2%

AZN opened at $202.22 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $313.62 billion, a PE ratio of 67.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. 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 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $142.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.80.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.