Sentinel Trust Co. LBA Makes New Investment in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Sentinel Trust Co. LBA bought a new stake in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 5,710 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $438,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of AZN. Chapin Davis Inc. boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 3,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $291,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 30.6% during the third quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 534 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 32.0% in the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 532 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Traub Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 3.3% in the third quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC now owns 4,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 21,215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,628,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $103.00 target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $95.75.

Key Stories Impacting AstraZeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting AstraZeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca agreed to license eight early-stage weight-management and diabetes programmes from CSPC, paying $1.2bn upfront with further milestone payments, gaining ex‑China rights and a clinical‑ready injectable that should enter trials soon — a quick way to add obesity pipeline exposure. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup initiated coverage of AZN with a Buy, which can increase investor demand and support the share price as the firm highlights upside in AstraZeneca’s growth story. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca set out a long‑term China plan, committing $15bn of investment through 2030 to expand manufacturing and R&D — this supports revenue potential in one of the fastest‑growing pharma markets and complements the CSPC tie‑up. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are reassessing AstraZeneca’s valuation after mixed recent moves; this coverage is informative but not an immediate catalyst unless analysts change targets. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest data this month appears anomalous (showing 0 shares and NaN changes), suggesting no actionable signal from short‑interest metrics right now. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Risks: the deal’s headline values vary across reports (large potential milestone/partner payments reported in some outlets) and the obesity market is fiercely competitive (Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly). High contingent payments, execution risk on clinical programs, and intense competition could pressure returns if programmes underperform. Read More.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AstraZeneca stock opened at $92.77 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.69. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $61.24 and a 12 month high of $96.51. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $92.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $84.38. The company has a market cap of $287.76 billion, a PE ratio of 30.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.34.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (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 company had revenue of $15.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.75 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.08 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

About AstraZeneca

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.