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Astrazeneca (AZN) is a Top-Ranked Value Stock: Should You Buy?

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals.

While you may have an investing style you rely on, finding great stocks is made easier with the Zacks Style Scores. These are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on value, growth, and/or momentum characteristics.

Why Investors Should Pay Attention to This Value Stock

Different than growth or momentum investors, value-focused investors are all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under what their true value is before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, and Price/Cash Flow to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

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Astrazeneca (AZN)

AstraZeneca plc, headquartered in London, UK, is one of the largest biopharmaceutical companies in the world. AstraZeneca was formed on Apr 6, 1999, through the merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and UK’s Zeneca Group plc. AstraZeneca’s business can be broken down into separate lines based on therapeutic classes. These include cardiovascular, respiratory, immunology, oncology, rare diseases and other.

AZN is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, with a Value Style Score of B and VGM Score of A. Shares are currently trading at a forward P/E of 19.8X for the current fiscal year compared to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry's P/E of 14.5X. Additionally, AZN has a PEG Ratio of 1.4 and a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 14.6X. Value investors should also note AZN's Price/Sales ratio of 4.5X.

A company's earnings performance is important for value investors as well. For fiscal 2022, three analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for AZN, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.04 to $3.35 per share. AZN also holds an average earnings surprise of 9.7%.

Investors should take the time to consider AZN for their portfolios due to its solid Zacks Ranks, notable earnings and valuation metrics, and impressive Value and VGM Style Scores.

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AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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