Sigma Planning Corp Sells 6,043 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Sigma Planning Corp reduced its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 71.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,391 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,043 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $453,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Astrazeneca during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new position in Astrazeneca during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management purchased a new position in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on AZN. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. HSBC lowered Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $206.67.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AZN stock opened at $161.74 on Thursday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $145.79 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $170.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $184.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market cap of $250.85 billion, a PE ratio of 24.18, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.25.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.17 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Astrazeneca

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.