Six to buy
AstraZeneca
Investors’ Chronicle Fourth-quarter performance at this pharmaceutical giant disappointed, with core operating profit undershooting forecasts by 14%. That reflects falling sales from Covid treatments and rising spending on research and development (R&D), with the latter climbing to a chunky 24% of revenue in 2023 (up from 22% a year before). Those R&D investments should yield results eventually: Astra has one of the strongest pipelines in the sector. Exclude Covid products and total revenue rose by 15% last year, with particular strength in oncology. On 15 times earnings, the shares are reasonably priced to get a stake in “world-leading science”. 10,234p
Jet2
Interactive Investor Never mind the recession. Package holidays, which tend to be perceived as offering value, are thriving, putting a tailwind behind the UK’s largest tour operator and third-biggest airline. Forward bookings were up 17% this winter, while “robust” pricing keeps margins healthy. Jet2 isn’t just a cyclical story – it’s also one of the few airlines genuinely to have delivered “long-term shareholder returns”. In the 2010s the shares soared tenfold. On a budget price/earnings (p/e) ratio of eight, the share price should gain further altitude. 1,361p
Judges Scientific
Shares This high-end science kit maker dabbles in everything from nanotechnology to LEDs. Management supplements strong organic growth with acquisitions, typically of small, underfunded and undervalued science specialists. Judges is a canny buyer, as shown by the shares’ 16.2% total yearly return over the past decade. On a 2024 p/e of 25, the shares trade at the upper end of their historical range, but could continue to make progress this year as management adds new firms to the portfolio. 9,882p
Synectics
The Mail on Sunday This Sheffield-based tech firm provides customised security and surveillance systems that monitor high-stakes situations – literally in the case of casinos, which use the kit to ensure that customers aren’t cheating and staff aren’t stealing. Synectics’ cameras are also used to keep British streets safe and to check that oil and gas fields are working safely, as its hardy kit is built to withstand “extreme conditions”. Place your bets on this British tech story. 180p
easyJet
The Telegraph Shares in this budget airline have fallen by 48% in five years.
However, there are finally signs of a cyclical uptick as strong wage growth lets families splash out on m
