Astrazeneca Plc $AZN is Nicholas Company Inc.’s 5th Largest Position

Nicholas Company Inc. lessened its holdings in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 3.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,083,854 shares of the company’s stock after selling 44,150 shares during the period. Astrazeneca comprises about 3.3% of Nicholas Company Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Nicholas Company Inc.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $190,216,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $708,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC grew its stake in Astrazeneca by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 55,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,723,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. Oxbow Advisors LLC grew its stake in Astrazeneca by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 78,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,740,000 after acquiring an additional 694 shares during the period. LRI Investments LLC grew its stake in Astrazeneca by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. LRI Investments LLC now owns 3,358 shares of the company’s stock worth $589,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its stake in Astrazeneca by 15.8% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 56,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,848,000 after acquiring an additional 7,653 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

NYSE:AZN opened at $182.71 on Monday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $283.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.43, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.26. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $194.66 and its 200 day simple moving average is $181.13. Astrazeneca Plc has a twelve month low of $132.32 and a twelve month high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted 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. The business had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Astrazeneca Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th were issued a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. Astrazeneca’s payout ratio is currently 65.17%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays upgraded shares of Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Astrazeneca has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Company 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.