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Astrazeneca (AZN) ended the recent trading session at $75.57, demonstrating a +1.79% swing from the preceding day's closing price. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.49% gain on the day. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.2%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 1.22%.
Heading into today, shares of the pharmaceutical had gained 2.08% over the past month, outpacing the Medical sector's loss of 1.05% and the S&P 500's loss of 8.15% in that time.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Astrazeneca in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.10, indicating a 6.8% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $13.6 billion, indicating a 7.3% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.49 per share and a revenue of $57.14 billion, demonstrating changes of +9.25% and +5.67%, respectively, from the preceding year.
Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Astrazeneca. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the company's business performance and profit potential.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.55% downward. At present, Astrazeneca boasts a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell).
Looking at its valuation, Astrazeneca is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 16.53. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 18.97.
We can additionally observe that AZN currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.43. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry stood at 1.54 at the close of the market yesterday.
The Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 73, which puts it in the top 30% of all 250+ industries.