Van ECK Associates Corp Sells 72,809 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Van ECK Associates Corp lessened its position in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 19.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 310,439 shares of the company’s stock after selling 72,809 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $23,817,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 21.5% during the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 64,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,942,000 after buying an additional 11,398 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 20.0% in the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,089,612 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,595,000 after acquiring an additional 181,273 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 111.6% in the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,113,000 after acquiring an additional 35,148 shares in the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 20.4% during the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 42,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,298,000 after acquiring an additional 7,289 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC grew 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 worth $5,953,000 after acquiring an additional 38,043 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of AZN stock opened at $193.09 on Thursday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52-week low of $122.48 and a 52-week high of $212.71. The stock has a market cap of $299.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 64.15, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.32. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $152.83 and its 200-day moving average is $108.82. 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 Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.595 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 156.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is currently 66.26%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on AZN shares. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, HSBC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus 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.