AstraZeneca PLC $AZN Shares Bought by Synovus Financial Corp

Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 10.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 78,315 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,583 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $6,009,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 149.3% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in AstraZeneca in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. FSA Wealth Management LLC increased its position in AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 376 shares during the period. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 144.0% during the 3rd 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 during the period. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 1.0%

AZN stock opened at $206.45 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $320.18 billion, a PE ratio of 68.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $122.48 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $122.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $96.53.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 153.0%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on AZN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Friday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Monday, October 27th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $108.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.