Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD Purchases Shares of 152,620 AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Kranot Hishtalmut Le Morim Ve Gananot Havera Menahelet LTD purchased a new stake in shares of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 152,620 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,991,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the third quarter worth about $45,000. Albion Financial Group UT boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 68.9% in the fourth 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 boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 2,618.5% in the fourth 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. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of AstraZeneca in the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of AstraZeneca stock opened at $74.24 on Wednesday. AstraZeneca PLC has a 12 month low of $62.75 and a 12 month high of $87.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $71.22 and a 200 day moving average of $72.49. The firm has a market cap of $230.23 billion, a PE ratio of 32.85, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.41.

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

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This is an increase from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. This represents a yield of 2%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio is 91.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.75.

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.