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Grayling, does the relatively low ratio of dividend cover < 1.5 give any cause for concern? Granted the dividend cover ratio has increased over the years but still is remains low. I had been invested here previously but now only have a small stake. Anything here to pull me in again?
AZN continues with good solid science. well done.
Nice fat dividend dropped into the account this morning and will promptly be reinvested in the twice yearly ritual. Onwards and upwards! Along with BAE my best performing share.
Plenty of good information during the last week guys. As I said before....what's not to like. Again, we shall have to wait and see. GLA
They have proven good judges of what to buy…..I prefer growing the business over a share buy back it seems a more positive use of the company resources. Hope this is another good one.
AstraZeneca has announced the acquisition of French biotech firm Amolyt Pharma for up to $1.05bn to beef up its late-stage rare disease pipeline. Amolyt, which is a specialist in the treatment of rare endocrine disease, will be purchased for $800m upfront on completion of the deal, plus an additional contingent payment of $250m payable upon achievement of a specified regulatory milestone. Through the bolt-on acquisition, AstraZeneca gets its hands on eneboparatide (AZP-3601), a Phase III investigational therapeutic peptide with a novel mechanism of action designed to meet key therapeutic goals for hypoparathyroidism - a deficiency of the parathyroid hormone that results in reduced calcium and elevated phosphorus levels in the blood. Hypoparathyroidism is one of the largest known rare diseases, affecting 115,000 people in the US and 107,000 people in the EU, 80% of whom are women. "Chronic hypoparathyroid patients face a significant need for an alternative to current supportive therapies, which do not address the underlying hormone deficiency," said Marc Dunoyer, head of AstraZeneca's rare disease unit Alexion. "As leaders in rare disease, Alexion is uniquely positioned to drive the late-stage development and global commercialisation of eneboparatide, which has the potential to lessen the often debilitating impact of low parathyroid hormone and avoid the risks of high-dose calcium supplementation." AstraZeneca reckons the deal will close by the end of the third quarter of 2024, subject to "the satisfaction of customary closing conditions in the acquisition agreement, including regulatory clearances", it said.
• In the early 2010s, AstraZeneca was facing one of the largest “patent cliffs” in the pharmaceutical industry, with around half of its sales expected to lose patent protection by 2016. In 2014, the company faced further pressure as it battled to fend off an acquisition attempt from US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
• To combat these dual threats, management committed to reinvent the product portfolio through internal R&D with a goal of eventually doubling sales to over $45bn annually by 2023. Despite widespread scepticism, the company achieved these lofty targets (with a modest net contribution from acquisitions partially offset by unfavourable FX).
• Growth and innovation continues today, with AstraZeneca initiating 27 Phase III trial results in 2023, including ten with blockbuster potential, alongside 24 regulatory approvals in major markets and four new medicine approvals. The company expects to launch at least 15 new medicines by 2030.
• AstraZeneca’s Oncology division is one of the leading global cancer franchises, with a range of blockbuster products including Tagrisso, Lynparza and Imfimzi. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally with an estimated 20 million people diagnosed annually, a number that is set to rise to almost 28 million a year by 2040. We expect growth in Enhertu, a targeted treatment for breast cancer, alongside as-yet-unreleased oncology treatments to drive sales growth in the medium term in this division.
• AstraZeneca’s BioPharmaceuticals division is comprised of three subdivisions: Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism; Respiratory & Immunology, and Vaccines & Immune Therapies. Key products include Farxiga for Type-2 diabetes and Fasenra for asthma. In both cases there remains a significant unmet need globally.
• Following completion of the $39bn Alexion acquisition in July 2021, AstraZeneca began reporting sales for its new Rare Disease division. It’s leading blockbuster, Soliris, which treats a range of rare diseases, is gradually being replaced in some cases by Ultomiris, also now a blockbuster. Of the over 7,000 rare diseases that have been identified, only approximately 5%
• One area of concern for all drug companies is pricing headwinds. In the all-important US market, there are credible plans to lower branded drug costs after years of inaction, although we believe change will be slow and AstraZeneca will be relatively well placed given US revenues are 42% of total sales, lower than many global pharmaceutical peers.
Hi guys in a few months we will be wondering what all the worrying was about, what goes round comes round, it's a good company and will remain strong
Pharmaceuticals and Biotech have been in a downturn since the 'end" of the Covid19 pandemic. Some more than others (look at Pfizer!) and so both my UK pharmaceuticals and global healthcare trusts (WWH and BBH) are all down(ish). At the moment big Tech is back in and so the PCT's and even CHRY have been on the rise. It's cyclical and at the mo both the FTSE100 and healthcare are out of favour. Do not panic we have seen this all before and AZN remains a rock-solid long-term investment. Ignore the day traders who pop up on here from time to time, they have a quite different agenda.
... I'm not really understanding why this is gradually sliding down apart from the general malaise of the country and the depressing ftse100. Brilliant company releasing fantastic medical breakthroughs and generating large profits and wealth. Wot's not to like? Profits won't be instant on the R&D but.....?
I'd be expecting a slow and steady drift up rather than down.! Ok, not in a straight line but certainly not like this. I agree with A.Smith below but still not clear on the action here. We shall see.
Revenues follow 2-3 years after drug development news….AZ has an exceptional pipeline of drug candidates….and have been excellent judges of potential in the past (they paid Dai-ichi $6bn to licence this drug..and it is not disappointing).
Even for AZN this is exceptional news..
At the risk of seeming disparaging, I am wondering if you actually understand whether this is a good investment or not. Look back 150 years to note the seismic advances and which sectors benefitted. Power from steam, then oil , electricity, nuclear - the future is likely to be fission. Telephone developed from primitive device to wireless to television, computers, connectivity of people and analysis of vast reserves of data. Transportation from ships to railway, cars, aeroplanes and now space travel with many successful returns from lunar and martian landings.
Medicine developed surgery to replace hearts, lungs etc, drugs for anaesthesia and cures for increasing numbers of cancers. The mapping of DNA together with electronic data has provided accellerated vaccines for new disease in the fraction of the time that past vaccines have been done. Computing will allow bespoke medicines to be made, new medicines developed and the human race will be better in consequence.
That is what you are investing in. Investing is not a race that will be over in a few hours or days. it is one that will be enjoyed over years. There will be days, sometimes weeks or even months when your investments will decline in value. It happens to all of us. Markets have always risen and they will continue to rise in the future. The Stone age ended millenia ago, but we are still building and repairing stone houses with stone.
None of us know for certain what the future holds for any of us, but we all of us should have a pretty good idea that the next 20 years will be different from today probably by a greater amount than it was 20 years ago. If you do not feel comfortable about buying share in a company, consider a pooled investment.
Want to buy another tranche but keen to avoid any more cuts from catching falling knives as per my recent disasters with some other shares ! Do others with better technical knowledge than me have any ideas on target buy in prices. I was aiming for 9820 - 9850p to average down after the recent falls but now wondering if it could fall further to the 9500-9700p levels?
Yep, don't think many problems, here. If price goes lower and funds available, just buy more IMO.
Nah the pipeline is so full of new compounds I expect a fair bit of growth in the company over the coming few years
Technical analysis is no more than a measurement of fickle sentiment by those who have never run a business in their life and want to appear to know what they are doing. It is no better than astrology in that those who believe in it distort the world around them. Currently I can see an upside down, exponential differentiation in the reverse ass and hips coefficient pattern when viewed through said ass with a high of 95 and a low of 120 sp
Don't think you will find a receptive audience to this message here.....you do know you are on a forum for people investing with the sole purpose of generating wealth for themselves?
The person at the top should be disgusting with himself for taking what could be eighteen million pay check, greed is a horrible desease, just remember you come in with a bare ass and you leave with one, I hope you put the money to a good cause, I doubt very much you will,the more you get the more you want, money does not bring you happiness please remember this!
I suppose if you have paid good money and/or wasted countless hours studying this sort of thing you have believe in it. However, I think it is glorious old general hindsight, the best strategist on the battlefield. Essentially the financial equivalent of homeopathy. Totally useless :-)
Now that you mention the head and shoulders, bearish sp, formation, unless AZN, can hold above the support at 9900, which it is now recovered , the head and shoulders price formation , would provide a price target of below 8000.
Thank you for being observant.
It's gone up a bit then, but nobody (including you) has the slightest idea why. Maybe it will form a cup handle or start using head & shoulders. LOL
AZN, made a sp, trough on 12/2/24, which broke price support. However the sector chart displayed no such weakness.
Volume today, on the rally was the lowest volume, in 9 days, although previous broken price support was recovered. Sp, has broken above short term down trendline of yesterday at 10384. However major down trendline at 10750, is still ahead. There is recent overhead supply from previous trading at 10500, which can be expected to impede upward sp, progress. The high price of 10498, today , would seem to support that conclusion. The sp, today , has broken above the Fibonacci retracement level of 61.8%, at 10365. A two day close above 10365, would reduce chance of retracement bearing in mind the low volume today .
Hardman & Co
Seven companies accounted for most deals .
46% of deals by seven companies Deals were led by the major pharmaceutical companies. In 2023, 46% of all deals were announced by just seven companies, representing 79% of the total consideration.
Major pharma M&A activity – 2023
Acquiror.... Ticker......... # deals Total consideration ($m)
Pfizer PFE ...........................1.... 43,000
Bristol Myers Squibb BMY.. 3 ...22,900
AbbVie ABBV....................... 2.. 18,800
Merck & Co MRK................. 1.. 10,800
Eli Lilly LLY ..........................4... 5,760
Novartis NVS...................... 2... 3,700
AstraZeneca AZN............... 3... 3,338