Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC Has $593,000 Holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,049 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the period. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $593,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 734 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 707 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. 20.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ AZN opened at $72.72 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $225.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $73.29 and its 200 day moving average is $71.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. AstraZeneca PLC has a 1-year low of $62.75 and a 1-year high of $87.68.

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

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a yield of 2%. This is a positive change from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on AZN. Morgan Stanley began coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating for the company. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus 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.