Healthcare & Biotech Stocks
Pharma giants, biotech innovators, and healthcare providers. Defensive plays with blockbuster drug upside.
200 stocks
Updated Sep 12, 2026
$8.48T
Total Market Cap
43.8
Avg P/E Ratio
1.80%
Avg Dividend Yield
+0.03%
Avg Daily Change
Healthcare stocks span companies providing medical services, health insurance, medical devices, and healthcare technology. The sector benefits from aging demographics, rising healthcare spending, and continuous medical innovation, making it one of the most defensive and resilient sectors in the stock market.
The healthcare universe includes managed care organizations like UnitedHealth Group and Cigna, medical device makers like Medtronic and Abbott Laboratories, healthcare distributors like McKesson, and hospital operators like HCA Healthcare. These companies generate steady revenue because healthcare demand is largely non-discretionary — people need medical care regardless of economic conditions.
Healthcare spending accounts for nearly 18% of U.S. GDP and continues growing. This list tracks healthcare companies on U.S. exchanges with prices, P/E ratios, dividend yields, and market caps updated daily.
| # | Symbol | Name | Price | Change % | Sub-Sector | P/E | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LLY | Eli Lilly and Co. | $1,115.70 | -0.65% | Pharmaceuticals | 39.4 | 1.05T |
| 2 | RDY | Dr. Reddy's Laboratories | $11.90 | +1.62% | Pharmaceuticals | 18.2 | 1.01T |
| 3 | JNJ | Johnson & Johnson | $265.58 | -0.29% | Pharmaceuticals | 30.5 | 642.45B |
| 4 | ABBV | Abbvie Inc | $257.12 | +0.83% | Biotechnology | 71.4 | 450.61B |
| 5 | MRK | Merck & Co. Inc. | $143.93 | -0.54% | Pharmaceuticals | 112.6 | 357.37B |
| 6 | UNH | UnitedHealth Group Inc | $379.09 | -2.37% | Health Care | 24.1 | 340.25B |
| 7 | TMO | Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc | $609.82 | +1.10% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 32.5 | 226.02B |
| 8 | AMGN | Amgen Inc | $377.35 | -1.34% | Biotechnology | 23.7 | 206.78B |
| 9 | GILD | Gilead Sciences Inc | $143.72 | -0.75% | Biotechnology | — | 178.24B |
| 10 | ABT | Abbott Laboratories | $101.95 | -1.36% | Health Care | 32.5 | 176.28B |
| 11 | PFE | Pfizer Inc. | $27.72 | +0.25% | Pharmaceuticals | 36.1 | 156.57B |
| 12 | DHR | Danaher Corp | $200.14 | -0.19% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 35.2 | 140.95B |
| 13 | VRTX | Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc | $515.44 | +0.17% | Biotechnology | 30.1 | 132.37B |
| 14 | ISRG | Intuitive Surgical Inc | $369.15 | +2.41% | Health Care | 41.5 | 130.13B |
| 15 | BMY | Bristol-Myers Squibb Co | $63.64 | -0.17% | Pharmaceuticals | 13.9 | 129.40B |
| 16 | CVS | Cvs Health Corp | $94.66 | -0.66% | Health Care | 24.8 | 121.34B |
| 17 | MDT | Medtronic Plc | $90.96 | -0.72% | Health Care | 22.4 | 117.29B |
| 18 | SYK | Stryker Corp | $275.56 | +2.06% | Health Care | 27.6 | 102.72B |
| 19 | MCK | Mckesson Corp | $881.51 | +0.07% | Health Care | 22.3 | 102.47B |
| 20 | HCA | Hca Healthcare Inc | $426.94 | +1.36% | Health Care | 13.6 | 92.65B |
| 21 | ELV | Elevance Health Inc | $418.72 | +0.52% | Health Care | 18.3 | 90.57B |
| 22 | REGN | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals | $781.49 | -1.48% | Biotechnology | 18.9 | 81.67B |
| 23 | CI | The Cigna Group | $280.76 | -0.05% | Health Care | 11.6 | 74.42B |
| 24 | BSX | Boston Scientific Corp | $42.98 | -0.28% | Health Care | 16.9 | 62.15B |
| 25 | COR | Cencora Inc | $321.57 | +0.19% | Health Care | 23.3 | 61.24B |
| 26 | MRNA | Moderna Inc | $143.97 | +5.38% | Biotechnology | — | 58.48B |
| 27 | CAH | Cardinal Health Inc | $234.57 | -0.61% | Health Care | 31.7 | 54.35B |
| 28 | HUM | Humana Inc | $409.80 | +2.26% | Health Care | 38.2 | 48.91B |
| 29 | EW | Edwards Lifesciences Corp | $84.37 | -2.77% | Health Care | 48.4 | 48.65B |
| 30 | BDX | Becton Dickinson And Co | $177.85 | +0.81% | Health Care | 50.7 | 47.77B |
| 31 | NTRA | Natera Inc | $328.93 | +0.86% | Biotechnology | — | 47.29B |
| 32 | RVMD | Revolution Medicines Inc | $203.77 | +0.21% | Biotechnology | — | 43.75B |
| 33 | IQV | Iqvia Holdings Inc | $261.77 | +1.74% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 31.2 | 42.86B |
| 34 | MDLN | Medline Inc-Cl A | $32.53 | +0.43% | Health Care | 61.7 | 42.77B |
| 35 | VEEV | Veeva Systems Inc-Class A | $262.40 | +0.54% | Health Care | 41.5 | 42.10B |
| 36 | A | Agilent Technologies Inc | $146.93 | +2.66% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 28.4 | 40.86B |
| 37 | IDXX | Idexx Laboratories Inc | $504.70 | -0.36% | Health Care | 34.7 | 39.54B |
| 38 | WAT | Waters Corp | $408.34 | +1.67% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 237.4 | 39.44B |
| 39 | RPRX | Royalty Pharma Plc- Cl A | $58.61 | -0.24% | Pharmaceuticals | 41.4 | 33.71B |
| 40 | ALNY | Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc | $248.68 | +0.47% | Biotechnology | 41.0 | 33.12B |
| 41 | CNC | Centene Corp | $66.42 | +1.56% | Health Care | — | 32.22B |
| 42 | BIIB | Biogen Inc | $217.15 | +0.80% | Biotechnology | 38.3 | 31.93B |
| 43 | DXCM | Dexcom Inc | $83.03 | -1.75% | Health Care | 31.9 | 31.89B |
| 44 | RMD | Resmed Inc | $218.27 | -0.60% | Health Care | 20.5 | 31.17B |
| 45 | ILMN | Illumina Inc | $206.45 | +2.57% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 37.1 | 30.59B |
| 46 | ZTS | Zoetis Inc | $72.97 | +0.15% | Pharmaceuticals | 11.5 | 30.11B |
| 47 | ROIV | Roivant Sciences Ltd | $40.82 | -0.29% | Biotechnology | — | 29.49B |
| 48 | GEHC | Ge Healthcare Technology | $63.93 | -0.48% | Health Care | 14.6 | 28.88B |
| 49 | INSM | Insmed Inc | $129.41 | +1.67% | Biotechnology | — | 28.00B |
| 50 | ALC | Alcon Inc | $66.03 | -0.78% | Health Care | 40.8 | 27.23B |
| 51 | MTD | Mettler-Toledo International | $1,293.52 | +1.01% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 28.6 | 25.94B |
| 52 | DGX | Quest Diagnostics Inc | $235.02 | +1.68% | Health Care | 23.9 | 25.40B |
| 53 | LH | Labcorp Holdings Inc | $311.54 | +1.49% | Health Care | 25.2 | 25.27B |
| 54 | INCY | Incyte Corp | $121.47 | -1.47% | Biotechnology | 15.4 | 24.75B |
| 55 | WST | West Pharmaceutical Services | $346.23 | +0.58% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 42.9 | 24.23B |
| 56 | UTHR | United Therapeutics Corp | $497.11 | -1.34% | Biotechnology | 16.6 | 21.70B |
| 57 | THC | Tenet Healthcare Corp | $263.69 | +0.09% | Health Care | 9.5 | 21.26B |
| 58 | GH | Guardant Health Inc | $157.38 | -1.04% | Health Care | — | 21.23B |
| 59 | STE | Steris Plc | $210.76 | -0.80% | Health Care | 25.6 | 20.57B |
| 60 | EXAS | Exact Sciences Corp | $104.91 | +0.95% | Biotechnology | — | 20.03B |
| 61 | VTRS | Viatris Inc | $16.51 | +0.79% | Pharmaceuticals | — | 19.23B |
| 62 | ZBH | Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc | $93.49 | +1.14% | Health Care | 21.8 | 17.61B |
| 63 | HOLX | Hologic Inc | $76.01 | +0.48% | Health Care | 31.2 | 16.97B |
| 64 | MEDP | Medpace Holdings Inc | $587.52 | +0.75% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 33.5 | 16.44B |
| 65 | JAZZ | Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc | $245.80 | +2.21% | Pharmaceuticals | 17.0 | 15.95B |
| 66 | NBIX | Neurocrine Biosciences Inc | $156.22 | -0.22% | Biotechnology | 22.6 | 15.91B |
| 67 | SOLV | Solventum Corp | $87.45 | -0.23% | Health Care | 10.4 | 14.89B |
| 68 | BBIO | Bridgebio Pharma Inc | $72.44 | -0.08% | Biotechnology | — | 14.14B |
| 69 | SMMT | Summit Therapeutics Inc | $17.55 | +3.24% | Biotechnology | — | 13.94B |
| 70 | EXEL | Exelixis Inc | $56.12 | -2.28% | Biotechnology | 16.2 | 13.94B |
| 71 | RVTY | Revvity Inc | $124.31 | +2.79% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 58.0 | 13.78B |
| 72 | CRL | Charles River Laboratories | $278.26 | +1.93% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | — | 13.33B |
| 73 | ICLR | Icon Plc | $169.31 | +2.18% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 190.9 | 13.28B |
| 74 | CORT | Corcept Therapeutics Inc | $112.79 | -1.85% | Pharmaceuticals | 230.3 | 12.71B |
| 75 | BMRN | Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc | $65.68 | +0.26% | Biotechnology | 173.6 | 12.67B |
| 76 | PEN | Penumbra Inc | $317.73 | -0.02% | Health Care | 78.0 | 12.52B |
| 77 | MDGL | Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc | $534.49 | +0.26% | Biotechnology | — | 12.31B |
| 78 | BAX | Baxter International Inc | $23.80 | -1.57% | Health Care | — | 12.25B |
| 79 | HALO | Halozyme Therapeutics Inc | $107.20 | +0.19% | Biotechnology | 29.4 | 12.14B |
| 80 | EHC | Encompass Health Corp | $121.71 | +0.55% | Health Care | 19.3 | 12.00B |
| 81 | ARWR | Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals In | $82.85 | +0.11% | Biotechnology | — | 11.86B |
| 82 | AXSM | Axsome Therapeutics Inc | $220.75 | +4.56% | Pharmaceuticals | — | 11.74B |
| 83 | DVA | Davita Inc | $181.55 | +0.12% | Health Care | 13.8 | 11.65B |
| 84 | BTSG | Brightspring Health Services | $58.73 | +1.47% | Health Care | 31.8 | 11.62B |
| 85 | ELAN | Elanco Animal Health Inc | $23.17 | +1.36% | Pharmaceuticals | — | 11.58B |
| 86 | TECH | Bio-Techne Corp | $72.12 | +0.06% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 62.3 | 11.32B |
| 87 | TEM | Tempus Ai Inc | $59.01 | +0.46% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | — | 10.65B |
| 88 | ALGN | Align Technology Inc | $150.82 | +0.07% | Health Care | 25.7 | 10.64B |
| 89 | MOH | Molina Healthcare Inc | $204.23 | +1.97% | Health Care | — | 10.42B |
| 90 | UHS | Universal Health Services-B | $174.83 | +1.22% | Health Care | 6.8 | 10.33B |
| 91 | COO | Cooper Cos Inc/The | $53.91 | -0.48% | Health Care | 43.8 | 10.33B |
| 92 | KRYS | Krystal Biotech Inc | $347.00 | +0.42% | Biotechnology | 42.8 | 10.33B |
| 93 | CYTK | Cytokinetics Inc | $73.77 | +0.20% | Biotechnology | — | 10.30B |
| 94 | APGE | Apogee Therapeutics Inc | $135.07 | -0.01% | Biotechnology | — | 10.22B |
| 95 | ENSG | Ensign Group Inc/The | $173.98 | +0.69% | Health Care | 26.6 | 10.07B |
| 96 | AVTR | Avantor Inc | $14.81 | -0.47% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | — | 9.99B |
| 97 | BIO | Bio-Rad Laboratories-A | $369.32 | +0.15% | Life Sciences Tools & Services | 44.9 | 9.98B |
| 98 | GKOS | Glaukos Corp | $167.25 | -1.84% | Health Care | — | 9.94B |
| 99 | GMED | Globus Medical Inc - A | $74.19 | +0.86% | Health Care | 18.5 | 9.88B |
| 100 | NUVL | Nuvalent Inc-A | $123.96 | +0.02% | Biotechnology | — | 9.79B |
Related ETFs
Exchange-traded funds that provide diversified exposure to the healthcare & biotech stocks sector.
XLV
SPDR
0.09% ER
Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund
Largest healthcare ETF covering pharma, biotech, equipment, and managed care from the S&P 500.
VHT
Vanguard
0.10% ER
Vanguard Health Care ETF
Broad healthcare exposure with 400+ holdings. More diversified than XLV with mid and small-cap names.
IHI
iShares
0.40% ER
iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF
Focused on medical device and equipment companies. Pure play on the high-margin medical technology segment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are healthcare stocks?
Healthcare stocks include companies across the healthcare delivery chain: health insurers like UnitedHealth Group (UNH) and Elevance Health, medical device companies like Medtronic (MDT) and Abbott (ABT), healthcare service providers like HCA Healthcare, and healthcare technology companies. The sector excludes biotech and pharma, which are tracked separately due to their distinct risk profiles.
Are healthcare stocks recession-proof?
Healthcare stocks are considered defensive investments because demand for medical services persists regardless of economic conditions. During the 2008 recession, healthcare outperformed most other sectors. However, they are not completely immune — elective procedures decline during downturns, and hospital admissions may drop temporarily. Health insurers and device companies with recurring revenue tend to be the most resilient during economic stress.
How do I invest in healthcare stocks?
Options include buying individual stocks, healthcare ETFs like the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) or Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), or specialized funds focusing on sub-sectors. For individual stocks, UnitedHealth Group, Johnson & Johnson, and Abbott Laboratories are popular core holdings. Consider diversifying across insurance, devices, and services to reduce sub-sector concentration risk.
What is the biggest healthcare stock?
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) is the largest healthcare company by market capitalization, valued at over $400 billion. It operates the largest U.S. health insurer (UnitedHealthcare) and a massive healthcare services arm (Optum) that spans pharmacy benefits, data analytics, and care delivery. Other mega-cap healthcare stocks include Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie.
Do healthcare stocks pay dividends?
Many healthcare stocks pay reliable dividends. Johnson & Johnson is a Dividend King with 60+ consecutive years of dividend increases. Abbott, Medtronic, and Becton Dickinson are all Dividend Aristocrats. Health insurers like UnitedHealth have rapidly growing dividends. Yields typically range from 1-3% for healthcare stocks, with the combination of moderate yield and steady dividend growth providing attractive total returns over time.
What are the risks of healthcare stocks?
Key risks include regulatory and political risk from healthcare reform legislation, drug pricing controls, and changes to insurance coverage mandates. Medicare reimbursement cuts can impact hospitals and device companies. Patent expirations affect pharmaceutical revenue. Medical device recalls, litigation risk, and cybersecurity threats to healthcare data systems are also ongoing concerns. Government regulation is the sector's most unpredictable risk factor.
What is the aging population effect on healthcare stocks?
The aging Baby Boomer generation is a powerful tailwind for healthcare stocks. People aged 65+ consume 3-5 times more healthcare than younger adults. By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 or older, dramatically increasing demand for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and long-term care. This demographic trend supports sustained revenue growth across the healthcare sector for the next two decades.
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