5 Stocks to Buy Before the Next Pandemic

4. AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) is a biopharmaceutical firm based in the United Kingdom, which deals in the development of drug therapies and vaccines for a multitude of diseases. It also developed the AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19, and a vibrant drug pipeline makes the firm well-positioned in the event of another pandemic. The company also offers a solid 3.75% yield as of June 7, and boasts a decades-long history of offering shareholders dividend payments.

On May 24, Danske Bank analyst Caroline Baner initiated coverage of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) with a ‘Buy’ rating and 13,100 GBp price target. The analyst notes that the firm’s medicines in oncology, rare diseases and collaboration projects offer potentially significant sources of revenue and boast exclusivity in the United States till 2030. She also sees “durable” growth drivers and visibility through 2030.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) posted $11.39 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2022, representing a jump of 55.60% in comparison to the same period over last year, and beating analysts’ forecasts by $423.24 million. As of June 7, AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) shares have recorded a jump of 12.62% in the last 12 months.

Investors were seen loading up on AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) shares at the end of the first quarter, where 45 hedge funds were long on the company shares, in contrast to 42 hedge funds a quarter earlier. Fisher Asset Management was the most prominent shareholder of AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ: AZN) in the first quarter, with 20.84 million shares valued at $1.38 billion.