AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Shares Purchased by Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC

Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 44.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,437 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $106,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Banque Transatlantique SA acquired a new stake in AstraZeneca during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Confluence Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 31.8% during the fourth quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 642 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ AZN opened at $72.88 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $226.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.25, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.38. AstraZeneca PLC has a twelve month low of $61.24 and a twelve month high of $87.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $69.32 and a 200 day moving average of $70.05.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $13.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.71 billion. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 13.01%. AstraZeneca’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.06 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on AZN. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $85.00.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company’s marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.