HUB Investment Partners LLC Increases Stake in AstraZeneca PLC

HUB Investment Partners LLC has increased its investment in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 9.1% during the fourth quarter, as revealed in their latest Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Following this increase, HUB Investment Partners owns 94,039 shares of AstraZeneca, having added 7,834 shares during the quarter. The total value of their holdings in AstraZeneca at the close of the recent quarter stands at $6,161,000.

In addition to HUB Investment Partners, several other institutional investors have made adjustments to their positions in AstraZeneca. Nordea Investment Management AB initiated a new stake in AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter, valued at $754,000. Also, Diversify Wealth Management LLC expanded its position in the company by 3.6%, now owning 4,402 shares worth $295,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the same quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its shares by 25.9%, reaching a total of 9,487 shares valued at $622,000 after purchasing an additional 1,949 shares. Oak Ridge Investments LLC raised its stake in AstraZeneca by 5.4%, bringing its total to 143,973 shares worth $9,433,000 after buying 7,341 shares during the quarter. Additionally, Asio Capital LLC increased its holdings by 11.6%, now owning 53,541 shares valued at $3,508,000 after acquiring 5,569 more shares. Overall, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 20.35% of AstraZeneca's stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

On Thursday, the shares of AstraZeneca started trading at $76.32. The stock has experienced a fifty-two-week low of $62.75 and a high of $87.68 over the past year. AstraZeneca's financial metrics include a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.74, and a current ratio of 0.93. The company boasts a market capitalization of $236.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.77, a PEG ratio of 1.42, and a beta of 0.41. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $72.47, while the 200-day simple moving average is $72.16.

Quarterly Earnings Highlights

AstraZeneca last released its quarterly earnings on February 6th, reporting earnings per share (EPS) of $1.05. This figure fell short of the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.05. The company reported a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 32.23%. Analysts forecast that AstraZeneca will report an EPS of 4.51 for the current year.

Dividend Announcement

Recently, AstraZeneca announced a semi-annual dividend payment, set to be distributed on March 24th. Shareholders recorded on February 21st will receive a dividend of $1.03 per share, with an ex-dividend date also on February 21st. This dividend marks an increase from the previous semi-annual payment of $0.49, representing a yield of 2%. Currently, AstraZeneca's dividend payout ratio stands at 91.15%.

Changes in Analyst Ratings

Several research firms have recently modified their ratings for AstraZeneca. On February 12th, Morgan Stanley began coverage of the stock, assigning an "overweight" rating. Subsequently, on February 13th, UBS Group upgraded AstraZeneca from a "neutral" to a "buy" rating. Presently, one analyst has issued a hold rating, seven have assigned buy ratings, and two have given a strong buy rating. According to MarketBeat.com, AstraZeneca currently carries an average rating of "Buy" with a consensus target price of $89.75.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca PLC is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing, manufacturing, and commercializing prescription medicines. Its portfolio includes a variety of marketed products, such as Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza, Calquence, Enhertu, and others that serve various therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, and oncology.

Investment, AstraZeneca, Shares