AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Position Raised by Paragon Capital Management Inc.

Paragon Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 120.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,203 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,507 shares during the period. Paragon Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $1,258,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AZN. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in AstraZeneca by 320.8% during the third quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 68.9% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hollencrest Capital Management boosted its holdings in AstraZeneca by 38.4% during the third quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 692 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

AZN opened at $68.96 on Wednesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12-month low of $60.47 and a 12-month high of $87.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $213.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.00, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $67.15 and a 200-day moving average of $73.79.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $13.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $13.08 billion. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 30.01% and a net margin of 12.68%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. UBS Group upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $89.75.

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.