Is AstraZeneca a Top Stock to Buy Right Now?

Dividend-paying pharmaceutical stocks have a rich tradition of delivering market-beating returns on capital. An aging global population, the expansion of healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and an innovation boom in next-generation biologic therapies have acted in concert to drive most large-cap pharmaceutical stocks higher over the last 10 years.

AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN) is a case in point. By pivoting to novel cancer meds with strong pricing power, the drugmaker's shares have crushed the broader market over the previous 10 years. Even so, Astra's stock appears to have a lot left in the tank despite its near-parabolic growth in recent years. Here's why this dividend-paying pharma giant is still a top stock to buy right now.