Simmons Bank Sells 3,596 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Simmons Bank lowered its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 46.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,079 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,596 shares during the period. Simmons Bank’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $313,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its position in AstraZeneca by 149.3% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 59.8% in the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 144.0% during the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VSM Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting AstraZeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting AstraZeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA grants priority review to Datroway for triple‑negative breast cancer — this speeds the U.S. review timeline and increases near‑term upside potential if approval follows, providing a clear clinical/regulatory catalyst for the stock. FDA Rejects AZN’s Saphnelo SubQ Formulation, Priority Tag to Datroway
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile market commentary — Jim Cramer publicly endorsed AstraZeneca, which can lift retail sentiment and short‑term buying interest. Jim Cramer says “I like AstraZeneca very much”
• Neutral Sentiment: Quarterly earnings are imminent — scheduled announcement may drive volatility; investors will focus on sales/Guidance and margin trends. AstraZeneca (AZN) Expected to Announce Earnings on Tuesday
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest report is effectively zero/inconclusive in the latest release — the data appears unreliable and is unlikely to explain price moves. (No active link.)
• Negative Sentiment: FDA issued a CRL on Saphnelo’s subcutaneous BLA (lupus injection), delaying U.S. commercialization for that formulation and forcing additional work/resubmission; this removes an expected near‑term revenue driver and is a clear negative for sentiment. FDA issues CRL on AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo BLA AstraZeneca’s Initial Application for Lupus Injection Turned Down by FDA

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, October 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Citigroup initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AstraZeneca stock opened at $187.68 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $97.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $86.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $61.24 and a 12 month high of $192.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $582.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $15.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.75 billion. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.89% and a net margin of 16.17%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.08 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led 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’s operations span research and development, large-scale manufacturing, and commercial distribution, with a presence in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

The company focuses on several core therapy areas including oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology, and rare diseases.