Astrazeneca (AZN) Surpasses Market Returns: Some Facts Worth Knowing

The latest trading session saw Astrazeneca (AZN) ending at $64.69, denoting a +1.32% adjustment from its last day's close. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.74%.The the stock of pharmaceutical has fallen by 17.62% in the past month, lagging the Medical sector's loss of 2.99% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.16%.Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Astrazeneca in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to go public on November 12, 2024. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $1.01, signifying a 16.09% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $13.04 billion, indicating a 13.48% upward movement from the same quarter last year.Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $4.06 per share and revenue of $52.43 billion. These totals would mark changes of +11.85% and +14.44%, respectively, from last year.Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Astrazeneca. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability.Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.49% lower. Astrazeneca is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Digging into valuation, Astrazeneca currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 15.73. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 14.93, which means Astrazeneca is trading at a premium to the group.Meanwhile, AZN's PEG ratio is currently 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 1.51.The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 86, positioning it in the top 35% 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.Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.Free Today: Profiting from The Future’s Brightest Energy SourceThe demand for electricity is growing exponentially. At the same time, we’re working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Nuclear energy is an ideal replacement.Leaders from the US and 21 other countries recently committed to TRIPLING the world’s nuclear energy capacities. This aggressive transition could mean tremendous profits for nuclear-related stocks – and investors who get in on the action early enough.Our urgent report, Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback, explores the key players and technologies driving this opportunity, including 3 standout stocks poised to benefit the most.Download Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback free today.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