AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Sold by Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 18.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 68,768 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,631 shares during the period. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $5,276,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AZN. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in AstraZeneca by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 2,789 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 11,690 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 3.1% in the second quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 37,163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,597,000 after purchasing an additional 1,109 shares during the period. AlTi Global Inc. acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the second quarter worth about $332,000. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 15.6% in the second quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 113,315 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,918,000 after buying an additional 15,294 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZN has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, October 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Citigroup started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ AZN opened at $204.45 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $317.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.88. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1 year low of $122.48 and a 1 year high of $212.71. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $124.40 and its 200 day moving average price is $97.76.

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 issued a $1.595 dividend. This represents a yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

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.