Are These The Best Health Care Stocks To Buy This Week?
The broader stock market today continues to be heavily swayed by the latest set of earnings rolling in. Amidst all of this action, health care stocks remain hard at work, nonetheless. For the most part, this has and been and still is the case as the pandemic rages on. Namely, the focus is mostly shifting towards additional booster shots on top of the initial dose regimens. This move would be in response to the fact that initial immunity to the current persistent coronavirus strains begins to wane after several months.
At the same time, parts of the globe are seeing a resurgence in new cases as well. For instance, we could look at the current situation in the U.K. where the pressure is ramping on the local health care system. Not to mention, there are also concerns over a possible mutation of the Delta variant of the virus, making it even more contagious. With all that said, the health care industry could arguably see continued heightened demand for its services in general.
Notably, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now approves booster doses from Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). On top of that, it also endorses the mixing and matching of the three approved vaccines for these additional shots. It’s worth pointing out that the Delta variant is still heavily in circulation. Meanwhile, even tech giants like Alphabet’s(NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google seem to be eyeing the health care industry now. This is evident as it is now partnering with a variety of health care associations to optimize health care-related searches on its platform. With all that said, here are three top health care stocks to know in the stock market now.
Top Health Care Stocks To Buy [Or Sell] Ahead Of November 2021
- Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX)
- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE)
- UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH)
Novavax Inc.
First up, we have Novavax, a biotechnology company that strives to improve health globally. It does this by developing and commercializing innovative vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases. With over a decade of experience, the company contends with some of the world’s most devastating diseases, including the coronavirus, seasonal influenza, and Ebola.
On Wednesday, the company reconfirmed confidence in regulatory filing timelines and manufacturing quality. This is in response to a recent news article citing anonymous sources that there were quality issues in the company’s manufacturing site. In fact, it has made significant progress in mobilizing a global manufacturing network over the past 18 months with sites that are now routinely producing high-quality products at a commercial scale at multiple sites across the world. Its global supply chain now expects to achieve a capacity of 150 million doses per month by the end of the fourth quarter.
Furthermore, the company also expects to complete multiple regulatory submissions within the next couple of weeks in key markets like the U.K., Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Also, together with Serum Institute of India (SII), it has already filed for authorization in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. All things considered, will you add NVAX stock into your portfolio of health care stocks?
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Pfizer Inc.
Pfizer is a multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation that saved millions of lives through its pipeline of products. Notably, this would include being the first company in the world to receive FDA approval for its coronavirus vaccine and the company is well on track to deliver over 2 billion doses of its life-saving vaccine. This past week, the company reported an exciting piece of news.
Diving in, the company says that its kid-sized doses of its coronavirus vaccine appear safe and is 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in 5- to 11-year olds according to study details released Friday as the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to the age group. If all goes accordingly, the shots could begin early next month and children could be fully protected by Christmas if the regulators give the go-ahead. Accordingly, the FDA expects to post its independent review of the company’s safety and effectiveness data later Friday.
It also announced on Thursday that its Phase 3 trial data shows high efficacy on its booster dose of its coronavirus vaccine. First results from its trial demonstrated a relative vaccine efficacy of 95.6% against disease during a period when Delta was the prevalent strain. Pfizer now plans to submit these data to FDA, EMA, and other regulatory agencies to further support licensure in these countries. With that being said, will you add PFE stock to your portfolio right now?
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UnitedHealth Group Inc.
Another name to consider among the top health care stocks now would be the UnitedHealth Group (UNH). In brief, it is a multinational health care and insurance company. Accordingly, UNH offers the general public access to a wide array of health care products and insurance services. The likes of which could be in demand given amidst the current pandemic conditions. In the U.S., UNH works with over 1.3 million health care providers and professionals alongside 6,500 hospitals and care facilities.
Well, for one thing, UNH appears to be kicking into high gear on the operational front this week. This is evident given the launch of its virtual-first health plan service, NavigateNOW. Through the program, UNH clients have comprehensive access to both virtual and in-person care. This includes but is not limited to wellness, routine, chronic condition management, urgent, and behavioral health services. Additionally, UNH also claims that NavigateNOW provides all of this at “approximately 15% less premium cost than traditional benefit plans.”
If all that wasn’t enough, the company is also actively partnering with Optum, a pharmacy benefit manager. With this partnership, UNH customers will receive access to round-the-clock access to a personalized Optum care team. By and large, UNH seems to be providing a comprehensive yet more affordable program for consumers. Could all this make UNH stock a top buy for you?
