We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Here's Why Astrazeneca (AZN) Gained But Lagged the Market Today
Read MoreHide Full Article
In the latest trading session, Astrazeneca (AZN - Free Report) closed at $66.54, marking a +0.03% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.23%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.06%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 1.7%.
Shares of the pharmaceutical witnessed a gain of 0.33% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Medical sector with its gain of 3.16% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.94%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Astrazeneca in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.79, up 14.49% from the prior-year quarter. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $12.1 billion, up 8% from the year-ago period.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Astrazeneca. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.2% upward. Astrazeneca presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In the context of valuation, Astrazeneca is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 15.91. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 14.59.
Also, we should mention that AZN has a PEG ratio of 1.18. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.81.
The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 75, which puts it in the top 30% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Here's Why Astrazeneca (AZN) Gained But Lagged the Market Today
In the latest trading session, Astrazeneca (AZN - Free Report) closed at $66.54, marking a +0.03% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 1.23%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 1.06%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 1.7%.
Shares of the pharmaceutical witnessed a gain of 0.33% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Medical sector with its gain of 3.16% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.94%.
Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Astrazeneca in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.79, up 14.49% from the prior-year quarter. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $12.1 billion, up 8% from the year-ago period.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Astrazeneca. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.2% upward. Astrazeneca presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In the context of valuation, Astrazeneca is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 15.91. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 14.59.
Also, we should mention that AZN has a PEG ratio of 1.18. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.81.
The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 75, which puts it in the top 30% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.