AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as £143.12 and last traded at £142.24, with a volume of 2069083 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at £140.38.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on AZN. Berenberg Bank raised their target price on AstraZeneca from £142 to £145 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a £150 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “overweight” rating and set a £140 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a £145 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of £138.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.83, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market capitalization of £220.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.63, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.17. The company’s 50 day moving average price is £134.95 and its 200 day moving average price is £121.74.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Nazneen Rahman sold 297 shares of AstraZeneca stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of £134.96, for a total value of £40,083.12. Insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology.
Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.