World Investment Advisors Raises Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

World Investment Advisors increased its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 108.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,098 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 14,127 shares during the quarter. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $4,756,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays raised Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy (b)” rating for the company. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NYSE AZN opened at $184.90 on Friday. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12-month low of $134.13 and a 12-month high of $212.71. The company has a market cap of $286.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $192.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $181.79.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The company had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.93 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.