Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) Sees Strong Trading Volume

Shares of Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 1,731,194 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the previous session’s volume of 2,013,341 shares.The stock last traded at $48.97 and had previously closed at $50.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Sanofi from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 27th. TheStreet downgraded Sanofi from a “b” rating to a “c” rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on Sanofi in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $55.00 price objective for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.00.

Sanofi Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $123.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $47.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.23.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.94 by ($0.05). Sanofi had a net margin of 10.52% and a return on equity of 19.69%. The company had revenue of $11.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.02 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Sanofi will post 4.12 EPS for the current year.

Sanofi Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.478 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.98%. This is an increase from Sanofi’s previous annual dividend of $1.38. Sanofi’s dividend payout ratio is 69.35%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sanofi

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of Sanofi by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 13,032,746 shares of the company’s stock worth $648,617,000 after acquiring an additional 245,682 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Sanofi by 4.6% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,322,806 shares of the company’s stock valued at $392,796,000 after purchasing an additional 323,968 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Sanofi by 16.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 7,224,508 shares of the company’s stock worth $351,111,000 after purchasing an additional 1,021,077 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Sanofi by 29.8% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,838,903 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,279,000 after buying an additional 651,756 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 15.9% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 2,528,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,618,000 after buying an additional 346,563 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.04% of the company’s stock.

About Sanofi

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.