Q4 EPS Estimates for AstraZeneca Reduced by Zacks Research

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for AstraZeneca in a research report issued on Wednesday, April 9th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $1.34 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.35. The consensus estimate for AstraZeneca’s current full-year earnings is $4.51 per share.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.05). AstraZeneca had a return on equity of 32.23% and a net margin of 13.01%.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on AZN. UBS Group raised AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Trading Up 2.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ AZN opened at $68.01 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $73.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.77. AstraZeneca has a 52-week low of $61.24 and a 52-week high of $87.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $210.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.09, a PEG ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.49.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AstraZeneca

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 44.6% in the 1st quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,437 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,000 after acquiring an additional 443 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of AstraZeneca by 13.1% during the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 6,083 shares of the company’s stock valued at $442,000 after purchasing an additional 706 shares during the period. Courier Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Courier Capital LLC now owns 10,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $762,000 after buying an additional 1,074 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AstraZeneca by 5.2% in the first quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 110,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,127,000 after buying an additional 5,455 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in AstraZeneca during the first quarter valued at about $213,000. 20.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

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

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.