AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $198.00 target price for the company. HSBC downgraded AstraZeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 15th. Finally, Nordea Equity Research upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $206.67.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 6.9%

Shares of AZN stock opened at $186.49 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $289.23 billion, a PE ratio of 27.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.27. AstraZeneca has a 1-year low of $153.41 and a 1-year high of $212.71. The business has a 50-day moving average of $164.48 and a 200 day moving average of $180.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 30th. The company reported $2.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16 billion. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%. AstraZeneca’s quarterly revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.38 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that AstraZeneca will post 10.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Professional Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the second quarter valued at $30,241,000. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,296,000. Andra AP fonden increased its holdings in AstraZeneca by 122.9% during the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 526,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $99,876,000 after acquiring an additional 290,412 shares in the last quarter. Westport Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,422,000. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in AstraZeneca during the second quarter worth about $4,041,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AstraZeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: Core EPS reached $2.79 versus the roughly $2.60 analyst consensus, while revenue increased about 7% year over year to $16.21 billion, topping estimates near $16 billion. Net profit rose to $3.12 billion from $2.54 billion a year earlier. AstraZeneca Stock Rallies on Q3 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology remains the key growth engine: Cancer-drug sales rose 17%, helping offset generic competition and declining sales from mature medicines such as Farxiga. The performance suggests AstraZeneca’s newer products are mitigating patent-cliff pressure. AZN Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline catalysts support the longer-term story: Management highlighted more than $20 billion of potential from 2027 drug-trial readouts, while the company reported 12 positive Phase 3 readouts. These catalysts could expand AstraZeneca’s growth prospects beyond its current portfolio. AstraZeneca CEO Sees Over $20B Potential
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance was reaffirmed: AstraZeneca maintained its fiscal 2026 outlook for mid-to-high single-digit revenue growth and low-double-digit core EPS growth at constant exchange rates. The company also targeted $1.5 billion in annual savings, potentially supporting margins and earnings. AstraZeneca Reports Q3 Revenue Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed: Guggenheim maintained a Buy rating, while Deutsche Bank retained Hold and Erste Group Bank lowered its FY2026 EPS estimate, indicating some valuation and execution concerns remain. Guggenheim Maintains Buy Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Generic competition remains a headwind: Farxiga and other mature products face pricing and volume pressure, which could limit growth if newer oncology and pipeline medicines do not continue to scale. AstraZeneca Holds Guidance

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca plc is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company discovers, develops and commercializes prescription medicines, with a focus on oncology, biopharmaceuticals and rare diseases. Its research and commercial operations serve patients and healthcare systems across more than 100 countries.

AstraZeneca’s portfolio includes medicines for cancer, respiratory and immune-mediated conditions, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases, and rare disorders.