Flputnam Investment Management Co. Grows Stock Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Flputnam Investment Management Co. raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 335,558 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,056 shares during the period. Astrazeneca makes up approximately 0.9% of Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $58,890,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Bangor Savings Bank raised its position in Astrazeneca by 102.7% during the fourth quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $187.10 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $191.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $183.36. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $137.23 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $290.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca 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.