Hedge funds increased their holdings in AstraZeneca to $5.5 billion across 56 funds in the first quarter of 2026, up from $4.21 billion and 52 funds the prior quarter, according to Insider Monkey data. The company topped second-quarter profit expectations with core earnings per share of $2.63 versus the $2.48 consensus, and reiterated its $80 billion annual revenue target by 2030. However, the quarter also brought a pipeline disappointment as its rare disease drug Ultomiris missed its main goal in a late-stage trial for a rare blood vessel complication, adding to earlier setbacks including a failed heart drug trial for Wainua and a U.S. regulatory rejection of its breast cancer drug camizestrant. CEO Pascal Soriot expressed confidence in the pipeline, and most analysts including Citi and Bank of America still recommend buying the stock, while investor attention now turns to the AVANZAR lung cancer trial as the next major catalyst.
AstraZeneca PLCHedge funds increased stakes and Q2 earnings beat, but pipeline setbacks and regulatory rejection create mixed outlook.
