Hilltop National Bank Invests $1.44 Million in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 7,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,437,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 21,601,433 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,791,051,000 after buying an additional 438,709 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 20,157,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,537,684,000 after buying an additional 445,014 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its holdings in Astrazeneca by 146,574.4% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 15,386,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,034,456,000 after acquiring an additional 15,375,659 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in Astrazeneca by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 13,878,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,435,716,000 after acquiring an additional 432,939 shares during the period. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 889.9% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 11,949,424 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,319,947,000 after acquiring an additional 10,742,268 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on AZN shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Astrazeneca from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “sell” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $211.00.

Key Stories Impacting Astrazeneca

Here are the key news stories impacting Astrazeneca this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A combination could create significant cost savings and operating synergies. One healthcare analyst said that aggressively reducing overlapping expenses could be the primary financial rationale for the transaction. Top Healthcare Analyst: A $400 Billion AstraZeneca-Bristol Myers Deal Could “Cut Costs in a Big Way”
• Positive Sentiment: AstraZeneca was ranked among the stronger-growing large pharmaceutical companies, while Bristol Myers has lagged its peers. AstraZeneca’s growth could potentially improve the combined company’s outlook if management executes successfully. AstraZeneca tops pharma growth rankings while Bristol Myers trails amid merger talks
• Neutral Sentiment: The discussions are preliminary, and analysts said a transaction may be unlikely in the near term. Neither company has announced a definitive agreement, leaving the deal’s structure, price and timing uncertain. Potential AstraZeneca purchase of Bristol-Myers unlikely for now – analyst
• Negative Sentiment: Investors reacted negatively because the reported acquisition would be one of the largest pharmaceutical deals ever and could require AstraZeneca to pay a premium, issue debt or stock, and absorb substantial integration costs. Reports described analysts as “baffled” by the strategic logic. Analysts baffled by AstraZeneca’s interest in Bristol Myers Squibb
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary indicated that AZN shareholders view the potential transaction as value-destructive, while BMY shareholders may benefit from the prospect of a premium exit. That asymmetric reaction helps explain the pressure on AstraZeneca shares. Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca said to discuss megamerger

Astrazeneca Stock Down 6.7%

Shares of AZN stock opened at $158.21 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $178.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $187.69. Astrazeneca Plc has a 52 week low of $145.79 and a 52 week high of $212.71. The stock has a market cap of $245.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.65, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.13. Astrazeneca had a return on equity of 31.45% and a net margin of 17.02%.The firm had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.17 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Astrazeneca Company 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.