Fayez Sarofim & Co Has $298.78 Million Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Fayez Sarofim & Co raised its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,894,437 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 148,535 shares during the quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co owned 0.13% of Astrazeneca worth $298,781,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AZN. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 376.0% during the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Astrazeneca by 144.0% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abound Wealth Management increased its position in Astrazeneca by 1,767.9% in the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 523 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 495 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup assumed coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN opened at $190.20 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $294.98 billion, a PE ratio of 32.77, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.32. Astrazeneca Plc has a one year low of $122.48 and a one year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

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

Astrazeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.