39,136 Shares in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN Bought by Westview Management dba Westview Investment Advisors

Westview Management dba Westview Investment Advisors purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 39,136 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,598,000. Astrazeneca accounts for approximately 1.7% of Westview Management dba Westview Investment Advisors’ holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Astrazeneca by 144.0% in 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, Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on AZN. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy (b)” rating for the company. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 2.9%

Astrazeneca stock opened at $183.40 on Monday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $122.48 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $284.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Astrazeneca Announces Dividend

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

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.