Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Trims Position in AstraZeneca PLC $AZN

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. reduced its holdings in AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN - Free Report) by 33.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,323,269 shares of the company's stock after selling 673,431 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s holdings in AstraZeneca were worth $92,470,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZN. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 149.3% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 364 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 218 shares during the period. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its position in AstraZeneca by 59.8% during the second quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 398 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new position in AstraZeneca during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in AstraZeneca in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in AstraZeneca by 376.0% in the 2nd quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC now owns 476 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares in the last quarter. 20.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Stock Down 0.9%

AZN stock opened at $90.03 on Friday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 52 week low of $61.24 and a 52 week high of $94.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $78.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $279.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.32.

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AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.14 by $0.05. AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.89% and a net margin of 16.17%.The company had revenue of $15.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $14.75 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.08 EPS. AstraZeneca's revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that AstraZeneca PLC will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of AstraZeneca from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research report on Monday, October 27th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $91.67.

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Read Our Latest Report on AZN

AstraZeneca 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.

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