Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) Shares Bought by Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its stake in shares of Royalty Pharma plc (NASDAQ:RPRX) by 48.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 126,550 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after acquiring an additional 41,300 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in Royalty Pharma were worth $3,228,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Royalty Pharma by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,460,515 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $40,705,000 after purchasing an additional 70,130 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Royalty Pharma by 171.1% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 101,500 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $2,777,000 after acquiring an additional 64,057 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments purchased a new stake in Royalty Pharma in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $735,000. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Royalty Pharma in the 4th quarter valued at $2,355,000. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP lifted its stake in shares of Royalty Pharma by 44.7% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 3,033,200 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $85,809,000 after purchasing an additional 936,900 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.35% of the company’s stock.

Royalty Pharma Price Performance

RPRX stock opened at $33.69 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $19.42 billion, a PE ratio of 23.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $29.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.05. Royalty Pharma plc has a 12-month low of $24.05 and a 12-month high of $34.20.

Royalty Pharma (NASDAQ:RPRX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.16. Royalty Pharma had a return on equity of 24.40% and a net margin of 37.94%. As a group, research analysts predict that Royalty Pharma plc will post 4.49 EPS for the current year.

Royalty Pharma Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.61%. This is a positive change from Royalty Pharma’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Royalty Pharma’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.69%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on RPRX. StockNews.com upgraded Royalty Pharma from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. TD Cowen raised shares of Royalty Pharma to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $41.60.

Royalty Pharma Company Profile

Royalty Pharma plc operates as a buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a funder of innovations in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States. It is also involved in the identification, evaluation, and acquisition of royalties on various biopharmaceutical therapies. In addition, the company collaborates with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and not-for-profits, small and mid-cap biotechnology companies, and pharmaceutical companies.