abrdn’s Akus sees opportunity as healthcare plays ‘catch up’ with the market

Jason Akus, Senior Investment Director and Head of Healthcare Investing at abrdn and manager of the firm’s four closed-end funds covering biotech and healthcare, says that the stock market appears to be broadening out and that healthcare and biotech are both likely to be beneficiaries. Healthcare stocks have generally lagged the stock market since the start of 2023, but with the Standard & Poor's Health Care index up 11 percent in 2024 — respectable but still trailing the broader S&P 500 by about seven percentage points — there are strong signs of recovery. As the catch-up trade materializes, Akus believes there will be no shortage of potential opportunities ready to benefit even if the economy begins to slow.