Hantz Financial Services Inc. Raises Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 46.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 122,860 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 39,244 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $21,562,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Bangor Savings Bank raised its position in Astrazeneca by 102.7% during the fourth quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.1%

AZN opened at $187.24 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $290.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.11, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.26. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $191.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $183.08. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52 week low of $137.23 and a 52 week high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%. Analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 9.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on AZN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Citigroup began coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Barclays upgraded Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings began coverage on Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy (b)” rating on the stock. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

About Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca plc is a global 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 positions itself as R&D-driven, investing in discovery science, clinical development and regulatory processes to bring new therapies to market.

The company’s commercial portfolio and late-stage pipeline emphasize oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases, and respiratory and immunology.