Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. Makes New $1.08 Million Investment in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Klein Pavlis & Peasley Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 14,126 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,084,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AZN. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its position in AstraZeneca by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 5,369 shares of the company’s stock worth $412,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 10.0% in the third quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 8,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after buying an additional 802 shares during the last quarter. Csenge Advisory Group lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 17.7% during the third quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 6,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $476,000 after buying an additional 931 shares during the period. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC grew its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 14.0% during the third quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 16,049 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,231,000 after buying an additional 1,970 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 85,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,557,000 after acquiring an additional 1,786 shares during the period. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on AZN shares. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, HSBC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $108.00 price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $95.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $94.39 on Friday. 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 PLC has a 12-month low of $61.24 and a 12-month high of $96.51. The business has a 50 day moving average of $91.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $82.75. The company has a market capitalization of $292.78 billion, a PE ratio of 31.36, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.05. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 16.17% and a return on equity of 32.89%. The business had revenue of $15.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.75 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.08 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

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.