Top 10 Safest Dividend Stocks in the UK

3. AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 56

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) is well-positioned to handle upcoming patent expirations, thanks to a robust pipeline of drugs in development. By the close of the first quarter, the company had gained approval or label updates for roughly 13 treatments. Two of its most notable experimental drugs, AZD5004 and AZD6234, show potential in the weight management space. In total, the company is advancing nearly 200 research programs across its development pipeline.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) recently announced plans to invest $50 billion in the US by 2030. This initiative is expected to generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs nationwide. A key part of the investment includes the development of a new multi-billion-dollar manufacturing site in the US, which will focus on producing drug substances for its weight management and metabolic treatments—such as oral GLP-1, baxdrostat, oral PCSK9, and combination small molecule therapies. This commitment comes on top of the $3.5 billion investment the company revealed in November 2024.

AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) is a solid dividend payer, as it has paid uninterrupted dividends to shareholders for the past 32 years. The company offers an interim dividend of $1.03 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.13%, as of July 25.