AZN
AstraZeneca PLC Healthcare - Pharmaceuticals Investor Relations →
AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) closed at $193.03 as of 2026-02-02, trading 39.9% above its 200-week moving average of $138.03. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 35.9% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 72, AZN is in overbought territory.
Over the past 838 weeks of data, AZN has crossed below its 200-week moving average 11 times. On average, these episodes lasted 6 weeks. Historically, investors who bought AZN at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +18.0%.
With a market cap of $299.3 billion, AZN is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 3.3%. Return on equity stands at 21.7%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 6.5x book value.
Over the past 16.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in AZN would have grown to $619, compared to $857 for the S&P 500. AZN has returned 11.9% annualized vs 14.2% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 24.6% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: AZN vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After AZN Crosses Below the Line?
Across 11 historical episodes, buying AZN when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +16.8% after 12 months (median +18.0%), compared to +19.4% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 91% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +31.5% vs +36.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment AZN crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
AZN has crossed below its 200-week MA 11 times with an average 1-year return of +18.0% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2010 | May 2010 | 2 | 2.1% | +23.5% | +594.3% |
| Mar 2011 | Mar 2011 | 1 | 0.2% | +0.3% | +547.0% |
| Aug 2011 | Aug 2011 | 2 | 6.1% | +7.6% | +556.5% |
| Sep 2011 | Sep 2011 | 3 | 6.7% | +6.7% | +555.2% |
| Nov 2011 | Dec 2011 | 5 | 4.4% | +0.6% | +540.0% |
| Feb 2012 | Jul 2012 | 24 | 10.5% | +2.0% | +545.6% |
| Feb 2013 | Mar 2013 | 5 | 3.7% | +47.6% | +533.1% |
| May 2016 | May 2016 | 1 | 1.6% | +15.3% | +365.1% |
| Jun 2016 | Jun 2016 | 3 | 4.8% | +27.8% | +361.8% |
| Oct 2016 | Feb 2017 | 17 | 11.4% | +26.4% | +344.0% |
| Aug 2017 | Aug 2017 | 3 | 2.7% | +40.6% | +322.9% |
| Average | 6 | — | +18.0% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02