3 Growth Shares For Your Nisa: AstraZeneca plc, Diageo plc And Unilever plc

AstraZeneca plc (LON:AZN), Diageo plc (LON:DGE) and Unilever plc (LON:ULVR) look to be three great growth picks for your new ISA.

| More on:

The content of this article was relevant at the time of publishing. Circumstances change continuously and caution should therefore be exercised when relying upon any content contained within this article.

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More.

At the beginning of this month the much touted New ISA, or Nisa, came into existence.

The Nisa is a revolution for savers. The new product has a limit of £15,000, a substantial increase from the £11,880 allowed in the previous Stocks & Shares ISA. What’s more, you will be able to move freely between shares and cash at any time using the full £15,000 to invest in the stock market, cash or a mix of both.

For those investors who want to add some spice to their Nisa, here are three companies that are set to see their profits surge over the next few years.

Best of both worldsastrazeneca

Recent takeover candidate, AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) (NYSE: AZN.US) is not only a company with great growth potential, the company’s shares also currently support a 4% dividend yield.

As part of its attempt to rebuff Pfizer, Astra made the claim that the company had the potential to nearly double its annual sales during the next 10 years — from $26 billion today to $45 billion by 2023.

If the company pulls it off, shareholders will be richly rewarded. There is no reason to suggest that the company cannot hit these lofty targets.

Indeed, it is believed that Astra’s current pipeline of oncology treatments is one of the best in the world. The company’s set of AZD9291 cancer treatments is expected to rack up sales of $3 billion, as its flexible nature means that the drug can be combined with other treatments to make several completely different products.

However, at present Astra’s sales are contracting, although current forecasts predict that they will start expanding again during 2016 and 2017. With a dividend yield of 4%, investors will be paid to wait.

Rapid expansion

DiageoDiageo’s (LSE: DGE) (NYSE: DEO.US) growth over the past decade has been nothing short of impressive. Nevertheless, it would appear that the company is just getting started.

Diageo has built itself into the largest alcoholic beverage brand in the world. The company’s drinks cabinet now contains some of the world’s best-known drinks brands including GuinnessSmirnoff vodka and Johnnie Walker whiskey.

Recently the company acquired around 50% of United Spirits, India’s largest spirit company. India’s whiskey consumption doubled during the period 2005 to 2010 and for Diageo, this market has remained largely out of reach.

Strict import laws and tariffs have prevent from Diego from entering the world’s largest whiskey market but control of United Spirits should change that.

Over the long term, Diageo is sure to profit from its Indian expansion.

Emerging marketsUnilever

My final Nisa growth pick is another play on India. Consumer goods giant, Unilever (LSE: ULVR) recently increased its stake in Hindustan Unilever Limited; Unilever’s Indian subsidiary. India is one of the world’s largest consumer markets, so Unilever’s presence within the region is exciting.

Further, Unilever is refocusing its global brand portfolio, selling off non-core, low-margin and low-growth food brands, diverting funds towards the company’s line of home care products. The home care side of the business is actually growing much faster than the food side.

Unilever is a solid pick for income seekers as well. The company currently supports a dividend yield of 3.4%.

Rupert does not own any share mentioned within this article. The Motley Fool owns shares in Unilever. 

More on Investing Articles

Diverse children studying outdoors
Growth Shares

2 growth shares beating Rolls-Royce stock so far this year

Jon Smith points out some growth shares that have come out of the blocks strongly in 2026, with momentum right…

Read more »

Calendar showing the date of 5th April on desk in a house
Investing Articles

How much would someone need in an ISA to double the state pension and target a £24,436 annual income?

A full state pension is £230.25 per week. But James Beard reckons it’s possible to aim to double this by…

Read more »

Smartly dressed middle-aged black gentleman working at his desk
Investing Articles

New to investing? Here’s how to use the stock market to try and generate a second income

Is investing in the stock market a better way of earning a second income than starting a business? Stephen Wright…

Read more »

UK supporters with flag
Investing Articles

How much would someone need in a Stocks and Shares ISA to target a £1,667 monthly second income?

Our writer reckons a Stocks and Shares ISA is a great way of targeting a healthy second income. And it…

Read more »

Hand of person putting wood cube block with word VALUE on wooden table
Investing Articles

April stocks: 2 value shares I’m taking a closer look at

Value investors looking for shares to buy in April have a lot of eye-catching opportunities. Here are two that I…

Read more »

Investing Articles

15 FTSE 100 stocks have fallen 15% or more this year. Here’s my favourite

Our writer is bullish on a few FTSE 100 stocks that have sold off in 2026. But which one has…

Read more »

Shot of an young mixed-race woman using her cellphone while out cycling through the city
Investing Articles

With a P/E of 8.2 and a P/B of 0.7, are Barclays shares cheap?

Barclays' shares look cheap on paper. But is this really the case? James Beard explores both sides of the debate…

Read more »

Businessman hand stacking up arrow on wooden block cubes
US Stock

Why Amazon stock could soar with a rumoured new acquisition

Jon Smith points to news regarding a potential purchase that could act to boost Amazon stock this year as it…

Read more »