AstraZeneca forecasts 2026 profit and sales growth, raises dividend

AstraZeneca said it expects total revenue to grow by a mid-to-high single-digit percentage at constant currency in 2026 and forecasts core profit or core earnings per share to rise by a low double-digit percentage, underpinning a lift in shareholder payouts. The guidance accompanied full-year 2025 results and a package of corporate moves aimed at accelerating growth in key markets.

In its results and outlook released on Feb. 10, 2026, the company reported 2025 sales rose 8 percent and profit increased 11 percent. Core earnings per share for 2025 were USD 9.16, up 12 percent, while fourth-quarter revenue was USD 15.50 billion, up 2 percent year on year, with Q4 core EPS of USD 2.12. AstraZeneca said company-compiled analyst consensus for the quarter had matched those figures.

Product-level performance showed a pronounced split. Oncology sales surged 20 percent in Q4 to USD 7.03 billion, driven by strong demand for newer cancer medicines. Cardiovascular revenue fell 6 percent to USD 3.05 billion, a decline the company attributed in part to generic competition. Management highlighted the oncology momentum and late-stage pipeline as central to the 2026 outlook.

Chief Executive Pascal Soriot framed the performance as both commercial and scientific progress. “In 2025 we saw strong commercial performance across our therapy areas and excellent pipeline delivery. We announced the results of 16 positive Phase 3 studies during the year and now have 16 blockbuster medicines,” he said. He added the company was positioned for further trial results and long-term growth: “The momentum across our company is continuing in 2026 and we are looking forward to the results of more than 20 Phase 3 trial readouts this year. We have more than 100 Phase 3 studies ongoing, including a substantial and growing number of trials of our transformative technologies which have the potential to revolutionise outcomes for patients and drive our growth well beyond 2030.”

AstraZeneca declared a second interim dividend of USD 2.17 per share, up 3.3 percent from USD 2.10 a year earlier, bringing total dividends for the year to USD 3.20, up 3.2 percent. In a regulatory filing the company said it intends to increase the annual dividend declared for FY 2026 to USD 3.30 per share. The filing added a legal reminder that AstraZeneca PLC is a group holding company with no direct operations and that the ability to make shareholder distributions depends on the creation of distributable profits and receipt of funds from subsidiaries; consolidated reserves do not necessarily reflect profit available for distribution.

The results came as the company pressed on with major market investments. AstraZeneca said it began trading ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 2, 2026, aligning listings across New York, London and Stockholm after the previous American Depositary Share program ceased on Jan. 30, 2026. The company also continues large-scale capital commitments, including a stated $50 billion U.S. manufacturing deal signed last year and a plan announced in January 2026 to invest USD 15 billion in China through 2030.

Analysts noted the guidance sits alongside consensus core operating profit expectations of roughly USD 20.8 billion for 2026, with some saying the implied operating margin will be a point of focus. Shares rose modestly on the announcement, trading near 14,000.00 pence in London and about USD 192.12 in pre-market New York trading. A conference call and webcast for investors and analysts was scheduled to begin Feb. 10 at 11:45 UK time, with materials available via the company’s investor site.