Sigma Planning Corp Cuts Holdings in Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Sigma Planning Corp reduced its position in Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 71.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,391 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,043 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $453,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Astrazeneca by 93.2% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 2,789 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,756,000 after buying an additional 11,690 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 54.4% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 10,274 shares of the company’s stock valued at $731,000 after buying an additional 3,618 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC raised its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 898.4% during the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 33,478 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,339,000 after buying an additional 30,125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 46,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,259,000 after acquiring an additional 559 shares during the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Astrazeneca Trading Down 0.4%

NYSE AZN opened at $161.74 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $250.85 billion, a PE ratio of 24.18, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.25. Astrazeneca Plc has a 12 month low of $145.79 and a 12 month high of $212.71. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $170.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $184.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced 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. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 31.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.17 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AZN. CICC Research started coverage on Astrazeneca in a research note on Sunday, August 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $198.00 price objective for the company. Barclays restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Monday, June 1st. HSBC downgraded Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $206.67.

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.