STF Management LP Reduces Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

STF Management LP trimmed its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 61.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,394 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,349 shares during the period. STF Management LP’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $596,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bangor Savings Bank increased its position in Astrazeneca by 102.7% during the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on AZN shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy (b)” rating for the company. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 1.8%

AZN opened at $181.62 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $281.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.26. The business has a 50-day moving average of $192.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $182.04. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12 month low of $136.16 and a 12 month high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion during 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, research analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current 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.