Independent Advisor Alliance Sells 3,393 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Independent Advisor Alliance lowered its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 47.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,729 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,393 shares during the quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $654,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bangor Savings Bank increased its position in Astrazeneca by 102.7% in the 4th quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 304 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Astrazeneca during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the third quarter worth $25,000. YANKCOM Partnership bought a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, TFC Financial Management Inc. increased its holdings in Astrazeneca by 3,350.0% in the fourth quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of Astrazeneca stock opened at $181.62 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $192.38 and its 200 day moving average is $182.04. Astrazeneca Plc has a one year low of $136.16 and a one year high of $212.71. The firm has a market cap of $281.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.26. 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 (NYSE:AZN) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $15.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.93 billion. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 30.86% and a net margin of 17.19%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.26 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on AZN. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup initiated coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.