Groupe la Francaise Reduces Position in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Groupe la Francaise trimmed its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 17.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 810,732 shares of the company’s stock after selling 173,876 shares during the quarter. Astrazeneca makes up 1.8% of Groupe la Francaise’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $151,604,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AZN. Tanager Wealth Management LLP lifted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 15.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tanager Wealth Management LLP now owns 1,550 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Astrazeneca in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,152,000. Kintra Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 32.9% during the 2nd quarter. Kintra Wealth LLC now owns 3,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $658,000 after acquiring an additional 858 shares in the last quarter. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Astrazeneca during the second quarter worth approximately $292,000. Finally, Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 3.4% in the second quarter. Figure 8 Investment Strategies LLC now owns 9,120 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,729,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

NYSE:AZN opened at $162.62 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a market cap of $252.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.25. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $169.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $183.86. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1-year low of $145.79 and a 1-year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. Astrazeneca’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.17 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.19 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Monday, June 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Friday, June 26th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $198.00 price target for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $206.67.

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.