A healthier outlook for healthcare

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As the world emerged from the pandemic, healthcare companies encountered several challenges, including declining COVID-19-related revenues, increased R&D expenses and rising labor costs, all of which impacted earnings. Although the sector began to recover from its prolonged earnings slump in 2024, performance remained sluggish. Healthcare stocks rose just 2.6% last year, with performance suffering most after the election. Importantly, the healthcare sector is comprised of a range of sub-industries and performance beneath the surface has diverged. For example, as the sector has addressed the backlog of elective procedures delayed during the pandemic, healthcare facilities and equipment manufacturers have performed well, while insurers have struggled. When seeking exposure to growth themes driving markets, investors often overlook healthcare in favor of other sectors. That said, whether it be GLP-1 drug development or AI-powered customized therapies, the reality is that the sector is at the epicenter of transformational change. Looking ahead, healthcare earnings are set to improve in 2025. However, policy actions taken by the incoming administration could meaningfully alter the sector’s landscape.

On this episode of Insights Now, Gabriela Santos, is joined by Holly Morris, an equity research analyst covering the healthcare sector and a portfolio manager here at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

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