Are vaccine stocks like AstraZeneca or Pfizer a good buy in the midst of this pandemic? Are they also likely to be leaders in future pandemics?

Betting of the vaccine is very speculative. The pharmaceutical sector is highly competitive and anyone can beat anyone to a new discovery or invention.

Study the entire business as a whole instead of betting on who makes a vaccine.

You can also invest in the healthcare ETF to get a piece of each.

I own Pfizer myself.

The reason I own them is because:

1. Solid Balance Sheet

2. Solid Positive Cashflow

3. Below my fair value estimate

While they are the forerunners of the vaccine cure, it does not mean the stock will go up tenfold the moment the vaccine is out. The reason is because big pharmas are highly regulated by the government and other institutions so they will be signing contracts with them to prevent these firms from limiting the number of vaccines to profit by setting an extremely high price.

So at the end of the day instead of speculating, do your fundamental analysis and due diligence before investing. Stocks are not lottery tickets, they have a company behind it. Know what you own and why you own it

Hope this helps!