Kathmere Capital Management LLC Lowers Stock Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Kathmere Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 49.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,687 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,591 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $1,122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Reflection Asset Management purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the first quarter valued at $38,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Astrazeneca from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 18th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE AZN traded up $2.31 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $192.47. The company had a trading volume of 387,859 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,477,704. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $183.97 and its 200 day moving average is $188.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.71. Astrazeneca Plc has a fifty-two week low of $137.23 and a fifty-two week high of $212.71. The company has a market capitalization of $298.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.24.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%.The company had revenue of $15.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $14.93 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Astrazeneca Profile

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.