Starter Stock Portfolio: 14 Safe Stocks to Buy Now

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11. AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) ranks among the 14 safe stocks to buy now for a starter stock portfolio. Morgan Stanley boosted its price target for AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) to $109 from $104, keeping an Overweight rating on the company’s shares. The firm adjusted its predictions following the company’s fiscal year 2025 results, making slight modifications to revenue and operating profit projections for the coming years.

The company’s 2026 revenue projection is mid-single-digit to high-single-digit growth, with earnings per share rising in the low double digits.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) is trading at 18 times the projected price-to-earnings ratio for fiscal year 2026, which translates to a 40% premium over the overall sector. Morgan Stanley believes the multiple is justified considering the stronger topline-driven earnings growth forecast of 12% against 6% for the sector from 2026 to 2029.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) is a biopharmaceutical company that explores, develops, manufactures, and commercializes prescription medicines. It supplies its products and services to specialty and primary care physicians and is exploring novel immuno-oncology treatment approaches.

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