AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Shares Bought by Whittier Trust Co.

Whittier Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 35.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,916 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,154 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co.’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $2,026,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 68.9% during the 4th quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 608 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Crews Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

NASDAQ AZN opened at $74.93 on Friday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1-year low of $62.75 and a 1-year high of $87.68. The company has a market capitalization of $232.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.16, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $72.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.74.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. Sell-side analysts expect that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This is an increase from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 21st. This represents a yield of 2%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZN has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AstraZeneca presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

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.