Alliancebernstein L.P. Has $203.18 Million Stock Position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 65.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 3,101,025 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,222,669 shares during the quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned 0.10% of AstraZeneca worth $203,179,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its stake in AstraZeneca by 68.9% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment raised its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 22.9% during the third quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 543,398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 101,225 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on AZN shares. UBS Group upgraded AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ:AZN opened at $73.50 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $73.69 and its 200 day moving average is $71.57. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $62.75 and a 12-month high of $87.68. The stock has a market cap of $227.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.52, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 13.01%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were paid a $1.03 dividend. This is a positive change from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a yield of 2%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.15%.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company’s marketed products include Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, Orpathys, Truqap, Zoladex, Faslodex, Farxiga, Brilinta, Lokelma, Roxadustat, Andexxa, Crestor, Seloken, Onglyza, Bydureon, Fasenra, Breztri, Symbicort, Saphnelo, Tezspire, Pulmicort, Bevespi, and Daliresp for cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.