FY2026 EPS Estimates for AstraZeneca Increased by Analyst

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) – Leerink Partnrs raised their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for AstraZeneca in a research report issued on Monday, February 10th. Leerink Partnrs analyst A. Berens now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $5.10 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $5.07. The consensus estimate for AstraZeneca’s current full-year earnings is $4.66 per share.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) last announced 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 32.55%.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded AstraZeneca from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Wednesday. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of AstraZeneca from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $89.75.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AZN opened at $74.51 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $67.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $73.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $231.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.94, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.46. AstraZeneca has a 1-year low of $61.06 and a 1-year high of $87.68.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 21st will be issued a $1.03 dividend. This is an increase from AstraZeneca’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 2%. AstraZeneca’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.36%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AstraZeneca

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AZN. FMR LLC boosted its stake in AstraZeneca by 1.1% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 23,117,447 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,801,080,000 after buying an additional 258,477 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AstraZeneca by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 19,480,569 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,276,367,000 after purchasing an additional 357,894 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC grew its holdings in AstraZeneca by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 15,430,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,011,037,000 after purchasing an additional 466,416 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in AstraZeneca by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 10,959,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $718,090,000 after purchasing an additional 479,692 shares during the period. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AstraZeneca by 17.7% in the fourth quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 3,745,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $245,407,000 after purchasing an additional 564,297 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 20.35% of the company’s stock.

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.