Westport Asset Management Inc. Sells 7,500 Shares of Astrazeneca Plc $AZN

Westport Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of Astrazeneca Plc (NYSE:AZN) by 50.0% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,500 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,500 shares during the quarter. Westport Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Astrazeneca were worth $1,479,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. IHT Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Astrazeneca by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 17,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,076,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors grew its stake in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors now owns 4,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $737,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Vista Investment Management raised its holdings in shares of Astrazeneca by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 21,215 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,723,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 3,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $595,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC lifted its position in shares of Astrazeneca by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Luken Investment Analytics LLC now owns 1,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

Astrazeneca Stock Performance

NYSE AZN opened at $168.68 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $261.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.24. 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’s fifty day moving average price is $180.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $188.07. Astrazeneca Plc has a 1 year low of $142.98 and a 1 year high of $212.71.

Astrazeneca (NYSE:AZN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.53. The company had revenue of $15.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.44 billion. Astrazeneca had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 30.86%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Astrazeneca Plc will post 10.22 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZN has been the subject of several recent research reports. HSBC cut shares of Astrazeneca from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Barclays restated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Astrazeneca in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $211.00.

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.