About ASTRAZENECA PLC
AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
AZN operates in the Manufacturing | Pharmaceutical Products | approximately 83,500 employees | led by CEO Pascal Soriot.
Updated February 16, 2026
ASTRAZENECA PLC earns a Buy rating from our quantitative model with a composite score of 74/100, ranking #25 among 7,333 U.S. stocks. The model sees a stock with an above-average factor profile — not without risks, but with enough quantitative support to warrant a constructive outlook.
The strongest dimension is value at 96/100, which places AZN in the top 4 percent of all stocks on this measure. quality at 85/100 provides secondary support. No single factor falls below the average threshold, which is a constructive sign.
Within the Manufacturing sector, AZN ranks 13th out of 50 peers, placing it in the 74th percentile. At $101.6 billion, the company is a well-established large cap.
Six-Factor Scorecard
Our model evaluates every U.S. stock across six independently measured dimensions. Each score represents a percentile rank — a score of 80 means the stock ranks higher than 80 percent of all companies on that factor.
Key Financial Metrics
Quality Analysis
ASTRAZENECA PLC's quality score of 85/100 places it among the top profitability performers in the market. The quality factor evaluates margins, return on equity, return on assets, and earnings consistency — the fundamental building blocks of a durable business.
Return on equity of 46.9% exceeds the sector median of -2.0%. Gross margins of 68.6% reflect strong pricing power and competitive moats. Operating margins of 31.0% sit above the 3.0% sector average.
Net margins of 28.3% demonstrate that the company efficiently converts revenue into bottom-line profit.
Valuation Assessment
A value score of 96/100 puts AZN in the top 4 percent of all stocks on cheapness — suggesting the market is significantly underpricing the company's fundamentals. Key valuation metrics include a P/E ratio of 5.6x, an EV/EBITDA of 6.4x, a price-to-book of 24.5x, a price-to-sales of 1.6x. Deep value scores like this historically correlate with above-average forward returns, though they can also reflect legitimate concerns about business quality that the value factor does not capture.
Momentum & Timing
ASTRAZENECA PLC's momentum score of 80/100 places it among the strongest trending stocks in the market. The stock has been outperforming roughly 80 percent of all other companies over the relevant measurement window. The academic literature, starting with Jegadeesh and Titman's seminal 1993 research, demonstrates that stocks with this kind of relative strength tend to continue outperforming for three to twelve months.
Revenue growth of 13.3% provides a moderate fundamental underpinning. A beta of 0.33 means ASTRAZENECA PLC moves with less volatility than the market, which can be attractive for risk-conscious investors.
Our entry timing model currently signals Neutral, which warrants caution despite the price trend.
Risk Factors
No investment comes without risks, and honest analysis requires flagging them clearly:
- Model limitations. Quantitative models measure what is measurable — financial ratios, price trends, leverage — but cannot capture qualitative factors like management quality, competitive positioning, or pending litigation. This analysis should be supplemented with fundamental due diligence.
- Market regime risk. Factor-based strategies perform differently across market regimes. The current factor exposures that support ASTRAZENECA PLC's rating may become headwinds if the macro environment shifts — for example, if interest rates move sharply or if sector rotation accelerates.
Bottom Line
ASTRAZENECA PLC earns a Buy rating with a composite score of 74/100 and 4 out of 5 stars, ranking #25 among 7,333 stocks. The factor profile is constructive — not without blemishes, but with enough quantitative support to position AZN above the majority of the market.
Explore the full AZN analysis page for interactive factor breakdowns, or view the complete stock rankings.
Disclaimer: This article is generated by Blank Capital Research's quantitative model and is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Always conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
