5 Best UK Stocks to Buy Now

3. AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The company commercially distributes prescription medicines, therapies, and vaccines for therapeutic focus areas such as oncology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, neuroscience, respiratory, and inflammation.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)’s 2021 revenue stood at $37.4 billion, compared to $24.3 billion in the prior year. The net income in 2021 grew to $3.1 billion from $1.2 billion in 2020. 

On February 10, AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) declared a second interim dividend of $1.97 per share, increasing the full-year dividend per share to $2.87. The dividend was distributed on March 28, to shareholders of the company as of February 25. 

Credit Suisse analyst Dominic Lunn on April 8 reiterated an Outperform rating on AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) and raised the firm’s price target to 11,000 GBp from 9,000 GBp.

Among the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 42 funds were bullish on AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) at the end of December 2021, holding stakes in the company valued at $3.8 billion. Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management is the biggest stakeholder of the company, with a position worth $1.17 billion.