Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on AZN. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $211.00.

Astrazeneca Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:AZN opened at $169.77 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $263.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.38, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.26. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $179.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $187.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. Astrazeneca has a fifty-two week low of $145.79 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.50 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.17 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Astrazeneca will post 10.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Astrazeneca

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AZN. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Astrazeneca in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the first quarter worth $26,000. Roxbury Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.