Hilltop National Bank Acquires 7,586 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Hilltop National Bank increased its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 165.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,184 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,586 shares during the quarter. Hilltop National Bank’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $1,120,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter worth about $31,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted 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 valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the period. Finally, Abound Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 1,767.9% during 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday. HSBC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $183.40 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $284.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.595 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca’s payout ratio is 66.26%.

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.