Marks Group Wealth Management Inc Acquires 5,896 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Marks Group Wealth Management Inc increased its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 20.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 34,450 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,896 shares during the quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $2,643,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Fayez Sarofim & Co lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 173.4% in the 2nd quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 3,745,902 shares of the company’s stock worth $261,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,376,032 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,389.9% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,043,850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,798,000 after buying an additional 1,961,764 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 15.2% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 12,167,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $850,255,000 after buying an additional 1,605,133 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 64.8% in the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,783,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,373,000 after buying an additional 1,487,662 shares during the period. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new stake in AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $96,936,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Trading Down 2.0%

AstraZeneca stock opened at $204.45 on Monday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $122.48 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The company has a market capitalization of $317.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 67.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $124.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $97.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

AstraZeneca Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $1.595 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. This represents a yield of 156.0%. AstraZeneca’s payout ratio is presently 74.83%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on AZN shares. HSBC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Company 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.