Astrazeneca (AZN) closed at $96.34 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.94% move from the prior day. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily loss of 0.53%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.09%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 1%.
Coming into today, shares of the pharmaceutical had gained 3.46% in the past month. In that same time, the Medical sector gained 0.09%, while the S&P 500 gained 2.06%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Astrazeneca in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on February 10, 2026. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $1.09, signifying a 3.81% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $15.76 billion, up 5.81% from the year-ago period.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $4.59 per share and a revenue of $58.73 billion, indicating changes of +11.68% and 0%, respectively, from the former year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to 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 business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.03% higher within the past month. Astrazeneca is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.
Digging into valuation, Astrazeneca currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 18.33. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 20.82 for its industry.
Investors should also note that AZN has a PEG ratio of 1.56 right now. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry held an average PEG ratio of 1.49.
The Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry is part of the Medical sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 96, this industry ranks in the top 40% of all industries, numbering over 250.
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.
Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.
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AstraZeneca PLC (AZN): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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