5 Health Care Stocks For Your May 2022 Watchlist

Check Out These 5 Top Health Care Stocks In The Stock Market Today

As the Fed assured the markets that bigger rate hikes are not something it is actively considering, stock market investors breathed a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, with the ongoing headwinds in the market such as supply chain issues and a war, some investors may prefer to play it safe. Hence, defensive sectors such as the health care sector could be worth watching. After all, health care is a necessity for everyone. Hence, it will always be in demand regardless of the state of the economy.

For instance, investors could be looking at the likes of AstraZeneca (NASDAQ: AZN). The biopharmaceutical company last week announced its first-quarter 2022 financials which beat estimates on revenue and earnings. Impressively, the company saw its product sales rise by 51%. Elsewhere, AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) recently acquired Syndesi Therapeutics for $130 million. This purchase gives AbbVie a portfolio of neurological programs that are a good fit with its pre-existing pipeline. With these exciting developments in the industry, here are some of the best health care stocks to watch in the stock market today.

Health Care Stocks To Buy [Or Sell] Now

Moderna

Starting us off today, we have Moderna, a company that continues to advance programs in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) to an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines. The company also has a broad intellectual property portfolio in areas including mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation. Besides, it boasts an integrated manufacturing plant that allows for both clinical and commercial production at scale. Yesterday, Moderna reported its first-quarter earnings that blew expectations.

Jumping right in, Moderna brought in total revenues of $6.07 billion, smashing Wall Street estimates of $4.62 billion. The company sold $5.9 billion worth of its Covid vaccine in the past quarter, more than tripling the sales figure of $1.7 billion in the same period last year. As for its profits, the company reported $3.66 billion in net income for the quarter, representing a threefold increase over the $1.2 billion from last year. Accordingly, earnings per share came in at $8.58 per share, well above the estimated $5.21. All in all, given the impressive earnings, is MRNA stock a buy?

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CVS Health

Following that, we have the health services company, CVS Health or CVS for short. In detail, it operates through four segments, Pharmacy Services, Retail/LTC, Health Care Benefits, and Corporate/Other. What sets the company apart isn’t just the services it provides, it’s how it provides them. CVS believes that it can help people navigate the health care system by improving access, lowering costs, and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health.

Also yesterday, CVS reported its quarterly financials that outpaced analyst expectations. For starters, it brought in total revenues of $76.83 billion, exceeding consensus forecasts of $75.39 billion and same-quarter 2021 revenues of $75.39 billion. Besides that, CVS saw its same-store sales grow by 10.7% in the past quarter. Net income, on the other hand, was $2.31 billion, or $1.74 per share. This is a rise from the $2.22 billion, or $1.68 per share in the year prior. With this solid quarter in the books, does CVS stock deserve a spot on your watchlist?

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Pfizer

Another notable health care stock most would be familiar with is Pfizer. It is a pharmaceutical company that has been at the forefront of the health care space. The company continues to advance treatments and cures for some of the most feared diseases of the times. This would include Covid-19, where the company has delivered billions of its life-saving vaccines to people all over the globe. Earlier this week, the company reported first-quarter results that beat top and bottom lines.

Revenue for the quarter came in at $25.7 billion, an increase of $11.1 billion, or 77% compared to the prior-year quarter. The company’s Comirnaty Covid vaccine sales made up a sizable $13.2 billion chunk of this revenue. Pfizer’s oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid contributed a solid $1.5 billion in sales as well. Aside from that, the company’s adjusted net income for the quarter was $9.34 billion, soaring 74% year-over-year. Accordingly, adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.62 per share, topping consensus expectations of $1.47. All things considered, does PFE stock pique your interest?

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb, or BMY for short, is a multinational pharmaceutical company. As a matter of fact, the company is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and develops treatments for a wide variety of illnesses. Namely, this includes therapeutic areas like cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and others. In the past six months, BMY stock has risen nearly 30% in price. Last week, the company announced its first-quarter financial results for the year.

Diving in, the pharmaceutical company brought in total revenues of $11.6 billion for the quarter, beating estimates of $11.3 billion. This also represents a 5% year-over-year increase over $11.1 billion in the year before. Along with that, non-GAAP earnings were $1.96 per share, beating analysts’ expectations of $1.91, and up 13% from the same quarter last year. In other news, BMY also announced that the FDA had approved its mavacamten drug for the treatment of a heart condition called obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Notably, the treatment is expected to be a blockbuster drug and analysts are expecting sales to reach $1 billion in 2025. And on that note, should you watch out for BMY stock? 

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GlaxoSmithKline

Finally, we have GlaxoSmithKline. To begin with, it is a global U.K.-based health care firm. Overall, the company has three primary research divisions. They are its pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and consumer health care arms. Across these operations, GSK works on treating a wide spread of health care areas. This includes but is not limited to respiratory, HIV, immuno-inflammation, and oncology via its pharmaceutical department.

Nevertheless, GSK continues to find new means of expanding its industry-leading portfolio. Notably, the company is acquiring Sierra Oncology (NASDAQ: SRRA), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company. In fact, Sierra is currently working on momelotinib, a treatment for a fatal bone marrow cancer known as myelofibrosis. Moreover, GSK also notes that momelotinib would synergize well with its current work in the field of hematology. All in all, GSK is gaining access to all this via a $1.9 billion deal. With this takeover in place, should you invest in GSK stock?

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