After investing $18.5 billion in a partnership with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, AstraZeneca's earnings per share are expected to increase by double digits.

On February 10, AstraZeneca projected that its adjusted earnings per share will achieve double-digit percentage growth in 2026, in line with market expectations. The company stated that the strong sales momentum of its oncology drug business will effectively offset the impact of patent expirations in its core diabetes drug portfolio, supporting sustained growth in performance.

AstraZeneca’s fourth-quarter profit and revenue basically met expectations. The company expects full-year revenue to maintain mid-to-high single-digit growth, close to the 8% increase in 2025. Analysts had previously anticipated that this forecast would leave room for performance upgrades later this year.

The company is accelerating its efforts in the weight loss drug market, and recently reached a cooperation agreement with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group with a potential value of up to $18.5 billion. Through this deal, AstraZeneca gains access to CSPC’s long-acting peptide technology platform, potentially allowing the development of next-generation weight loss therapies that require only one dose per month, aiming to enter the GLP-1 drug market currently dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

In addition, AstraZeneca’s independently developed oral GLP-1 drug, elecoglipron, has entered late-stage clinical trials and has become an important candidate product in its obesity treatment pipeline.

Despite recent uncertainty in the industry brought by U.S. pharmaceutical pricing policies, AstraZeneca had previously secured a three-year tariff exemption through an agreement with the Trump administration. The company is the second pharmaceutical company to reach such a pricing deal with Trump.

Chief Financial Officer Aradhana Sarin stated that the company is confident in its ability to absorb related pricing impacts, and will continue to advance its long-term goal of achieving $80 billion in revenue by 2030. Currently, the clinical progress of several new drugs under development will be a key test of whether the company can sustain its growth momentum.

Continuous Expansion of Oncology Drug Business

Under the leadership of CEO Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca has established its leading position in the field of cancer treatment and has become the second-largest listed company by market capitalization on the London Stock Exchange. Whether the company can achieve its strategic goal of “$80 billion in revenue by 2030” will face a crucial test this year, as clinical data for several new drugs targeting major diseases such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are about to be released.

Although AstraZeneca’s share price has risen more than 28% in the past six months, its performance still lags behind UK peer GSK. The market is closely watching the clinical progress of its research pipeline to evaluate its long-term growth momentum.

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