Capital International Inc. CA Buys 18,059 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Capital International Inc. CA raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 448,738 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 18,059 shares during the quarter. Capital International Inc. CA’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $34,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 93.2% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 2,789 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in AstraZeneca by 45.3% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,756,000 after acquiring an additional 11,690 shares in the last quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the second quarter worth about $204,000. Savant Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 15.2% during the second quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 53,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,738,000 after purchasing an additional 7,050 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 5.7% during the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 8,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $603,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Up 0.4%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $195.00 on Tuesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $122.48 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $148.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $107.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market cap of $302.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.78, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be issued a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 66.26%.

AstraZeneca 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.