Astrazeneca (AZN) Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick: What Investors Need to Know

In the latest trading session, Astrazeneca (AZN) closed at $66.58, marking a -0.09% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was behind the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.16%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.25%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.06%.The the stock of pharmaceutical has fallen by 0.8% in the past month, leading the Medical sector's loss of 5.77% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.8%.Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Astrazeneca in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.06, indicating a 45.21% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $14.26 billion, indicating a 18.57% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.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. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the company's business operations and its ability to generate profits.Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.46% lower within the past month. Astrazeneca is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.In the context of valuation, Astrazeneca is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 14.19. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 12.67.It's also important to note that AZN currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.04. 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 1.28.The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 193, finds itself in the bottom 24% echelons of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.1% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AstraZeneca PLC (AZN): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks