Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) Shares Sold by Sphera Funds Management LTD.

Sphera Funds Management LTD. lowered its stake in shares of Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 384,515 shares of the company’s stock after selling 25,000 shares during the period. Sanofi makes up 3.3% of Sphera Funds Management LTD.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Sphera Funds Management LTD.’s holdings in Sanofi were worth $18,545,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sanofi during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Sanofi by 952.6% during the fourth quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 543 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Sanofi by 59.8% during the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in Sanofi in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new position in Sanofi in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 14.04% of the company’s stock.

Sanofi Price Performance

Shares of Sanofi stock opened at $50.86 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.55. Sanofi has a 1-year low of $45.80 and a 1-year high of $60.12. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $53.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.92.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $10.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.79 billion. Sanofi had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 25.61%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.78 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Sanofi will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sanofi Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $2.0369 per share. This represents a yield of 3.1%. This is a boost from Sanofi’s previous annual dividend of $1.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. Sanofi’s dividend payout ratio is currently 57.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SNY has been the subject of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Sanofi to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Sanofi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Sanofi in a research report on Friday, March 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 price target for the company. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Sanofi in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $65.00 price target for the company. Finally, Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Sanofi to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $63.33.

Sanofi Company Profile

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.