Is Astrazeneca (AZN) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?

Core Viewpoint - Astrazeneca (AZN) has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.36, indicating a consensus leaning towards Strong Buy, but reliance solely on this metric may not be advisable due to potential biases in brokerage recommendations [2][5][10]. Group 1: Brokerage Recommendations - The current ABR for Astrazeneca is 1.36, with 14 out of 18 recommendations classified as Strong Buy, representing 77.8% of total recommendations [2]. - Brokerage analysts tend to exhibit a strong positive bias in their ratings, issuing five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][10]. - The ABR is calculated based on brokerage recommendations, which may not always reflect the actual price movement of the stock [9][10]. Group 2: Zacks Rank Comparison - Zacks Rank categorizes stocks into five groups based on earnings estimate revisions, with a strong correlation to near-term stock price movements [8][11]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Astrazeneca remains unchanged at $4.49, suggesting stable earnings prospects [14]. - Astrazeneca currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating a cautious approach despite the favorable ABR [15].