Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Reaffirms Sell Rating for Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN)

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN)‘s stock had its “sell” rating reissued by investment analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a research report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Astrazeneca from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Barclays raised Astrazeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Astrazeneca presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.33.

Astrazeneca Trading Up 0.0%

Astrazeneca stock traded up $0.06 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $187.52. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 314,220 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,613,515. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $191.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $182.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $290.83 billion, a PE ratio of 28.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.26. Astrazeneca has a 1 year low of $137.23 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $15.29 billion for 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%. On average, analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca will post 10.25 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Astrazeneca

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AZN. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in Astrazeneca by 21.5% in the third quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 64,421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,942,000 after acquiring an additional 11,398 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc increased its stake in Astrazeneca by 20.0% during the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,089,612 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,595,000 after acquiring an additional 181,273 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 111.6% in the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 66,643 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,113,000 after purchasing an additional 35,148 shares during the period. AMG National Trust Bank raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 20.4% in the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 42,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,298,000 after purchasing an additional 7,289 shares during the period. Finally, Oxbow Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 96.2% in the 3rd quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 77,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,953,000 after purchasing an additional 38,043 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

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.