Avitas Wealth Management LLC Purchases 8,947 Shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Avitas Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 23.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 47,803 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,947 shares during the period. Avitas Wealth Management LLC's holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $3,728,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.Defying the Market: 3 Mega-Cap Stocks Soaring to New HighsOther institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 11.2% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 154,906 shares of the company's stock worth $10,433,000 after acquiring an additional 15,642 shares during the period. Cox Capital Mgt LLC acquired a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the first quarter valued at $2,683,000. TD Asset Management Inc raised its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 8.6% in the first quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,537,410 shares of the company's stock valued at $104,160,000 after purchasing an additional 121,876 shares during the period. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 6,136 shares of the company's stock worth $416,000 after buying an additional 543 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 124.5% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 98,262 shares of the company's stock worth $6,657,000 after buying an additional 54,488 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 20.35% of the company's stock. AstraZeneca Price PerformanceAZN traded up $0.77 on Friday, hitting $86.66. 3,336,004 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,313,068. The firm has a market capitalization of $268.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.48, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.69. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $60.47 and a 12 month high of $86.88. The business has a 50-day moving average of $79.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $74.01. AstraZeneca Shares Fall Despite EPS Beat and Raised GuidanceAstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $12.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.62 billion. AstraZeneca had a net margin of 13.11% and a return on equity of 29.34%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.08 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. AstraZeneca Cuts DividendThe firm also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be paid a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.8%. AstraZeneca's payout ratio is 48.04%. Analysts Set New Price TargetsEli Lilly's Stock Surge Driven by GLP-1 DemandSeveral equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of AstraZeneca from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Barclays raised AstraZeneca to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Citigroup raised AstraZeneca to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $97.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Argus lifted their price objective on shares of AstraZeneca from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $89.75.View Our Latest Report on AstraZenecaAstraZeneca Profile (Free Report)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.See AlsoFive stocks we like better than AstraZeneca3 Fintech Stocks With Good 2021 ProspectsLumen: Among Top Performers Last Month, Still Has Warning SignsUpcoming IPO Stock Lockup Period, ExplainedBaidu's Strong Quarter Proves a Smart Pick for Michael BurryWhat Investors Must Know About Over-the-Counter (OTC) StocksIntuit Beats Q4 Earnings: AI, Dividends, and a Growth StrategyWant to see what other hedge funds are holding AZN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report).This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.→ 5 Stocks that could triple in a week (From Traders Agency) (Ad)Should you invest $1,000 in AstraZeneca right now?Before you consider AstraZeneca, you'll want to hear this.MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. 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