NEOS Investment Management LLC Buys 81,900 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

NEOS Investment Management LLC grew its stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 79.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 185,132 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 81,900 shares during the quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $14,203,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 64,421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,942,000 after acquiring an additional 11,398 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 111.6% in the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 35,148 shares during the period. Oxbow Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 96.2% during the 3rd quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 77,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,953,000 after buying an additional 38,043 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 310,383 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,813,000 after buying an additional 19,020 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 191,518 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,156,000 after buying an additional 17,548 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AZN opened at $209.39 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $94.95. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $122.48 and a twelve month high of $211.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $324.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 69.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

AstraZeneca Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. This represents a yield of 165.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Citigroup assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Profile

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.