AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Position Lessened by Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky reduced its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 4.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 147,240 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,342 shares during the period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $11,296,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 149.3% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in AstraZeneca during the third quarter worth $31,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC grew its position in AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of AstraZeneca from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 1.1%

NASDAQ:AZN opened at $201.52 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $140.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $104.11. The stock has a market cap of $312.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 66.95, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

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

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.