Several major trends mean that demand for healthcare services and products will continue to rise in the long-term:
One of these is demographic change: The older people get, the longer and more they use healthcare services.
Secondly, large parts of humanity still have no or only very underdeveloped access to healthcare. There is great potential for catch-up and growth in this regard, particularly in many Emerging Markets.
The healthcare industry also benefits from the fact that it attracts a lot of public funding.
Investing in healthcare and healthcare stocks
Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are usually in the spotlight of the media and investors, as their stock prices can multiply rapidly with the successful development of a new drug. However, for every successful drug development, there are numerous failures.
What has to be considered when investing in healthcare
Equities of the healthcare sector can therefore also suffer heavy losses in value. Furthermore, regulatory changes and their impact on companies should not be underestimated. In this respect, there has just been a certain amount of relief in the US health insurance sector after Donald Trump won the election and not Kamala Harris. It takes both great expertise and a dose of luck to recognise in time who will be successful with new drugs and who will not.
Not only, but also for this reason, pharmaceutical companies are an important, but not the only component of a good healthcare equity fund. A key success factor, in addition to the selection of companies, is a good mix of different subsectors.
Fund portrait of Raiffeisen-Health and Welbeing-ESG-Aktien
On the one hand, a good mix reduces the volatility of the fund portfolio by investing in different business models, areas of activity and therefore sources of income (although fluctuations cannot be completely avoided). On the other hand, the fund taps into the earnings potential of many different trends in the healthcare sector. In addition to pharmaceutical stocks, the fund Raiffeisen-Health and Wellbeing-ESG-Aktien primarily invests in stocks from the following sectors
medical technology and devices,
biotechnology,
life science and diagnostics,
health insurance, and
healthcare accessories.
In addition - and this sets it apart from many other healthcare funds – Raiffeisen-Health and Wellbeing-ESG-Aktien also include companies from the Wellbeing sector. Mental and physical well-being into old age is also important and often goes hand in hand with simply staying healthy.
Pharmaceutical stocks such as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk among the largest positions
The largest individual positions in the fundRaiffeisen-Health and Wellbeing-ESG-Aktien currently include Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, two pharmaceutical companies that are attracting a great deal of interest from the media and investors, particularly due to their new anti-obesity drugs. However, drug development and fund management have also been focussing on effective treatment options for rare but serious diseases for some time now. Those who are the first to find solutions here can often secure small but usually very lucrative markets for a long time, as it is often no longer worthwhile for competitors to enter the market, even if they are successful. The authorisation procedures here are also usually shorter and simpler.
Robotics in focus
The fund management also focuses on technology leaders in medical technology, such as the companies Intuitive Surgical and Boston Scientific.
Equity valuations and earnings expectations inspire confidence
In recent months, healthcare equities have underperformed without any apparent reason or understandable cause – most analysts are rather perplexed about this. It is possible that more dynamic sectors simply attracted more attention from investors. In any case, it was not due to valuations and earnings expectations.
In terms of earnings growth for the coming year, there are even indications that healthcare equities will grow faster than the overall market average. Equity valuations are also in line with the historical average and are even slightly more favourable relative to the overall market than the long-term average. Of course, overall market and sector analyses are only assessments and not guarantees. The actual valuations and profits of the individual companies and equities are the real picture and can also deviate from the estimates.
Mega trend healthcare
Investments in the health of the population, in clean water and clean air, etc. always pay off in the long-term. Good health and well-being is also one of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG*) and has been formulated as follows: "Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."
Another aspect makes investments in healthcare very interesting: a high degree of innovation and technological progress, for example in drug development, diagnostics, medical devices or telemedicine and remote surgery.
* SDG: Sustainable Development Goals
Technological innovations shape the landscape
Artificial intelligence (AI) can become an additional accelerator. Especially in diagnostics (e.g., early detection of cancer and tumors), there are very promising AI approaches. In the future, drugs could be developed faster and with a higher success rate than before. However, the initial euphoria in this area seems to be waning somewhat. There will certainly be positive effects of AI in drug development, but perhaps not as significant as initially hoped. In any case, fascinating new medical solutions and breakthroughs are emerging, also thanks to major advances in robotics.
Sustainability is not a given in the healthcare sector
The healthcare industry could be a prime example of
Award-winning sustainability concept
Accordingly, the Raiffeisen-Health and Wellbeing-ESG-Aktien has positive criteria that a company must fulfil to be included in the portfolio. There are also criteria that disqualify companies from the outset. Examples include genetically modified food and seeds, child labour, inhumane working conditions and illegal or excessive animal testing. When selecting companies, the fund draws on Raiffeisen KAG's
Conclusion
Equities in the health and wellbeing sector represent an exciting and promising, but naturally also risky investment area. Good diversification (companies, business areas, medical trends) and specialist expertise are therefore required in order to invest successfully in the long-term. A well-managed investment fund is therefore ideal for it.
At the same time, a greater sense of responsibility and sustainability are also urgently needed in this sector. The Raiffeisen-Health and Wellbeing-ESG-Aktien contributes to this and enable investors to invest sustainably in companies in the health and wellbeing sector.
Naturally, investments in this equity funds are also subject to the risks typical of equity markets, such as increased price fluctuations and the possibility of price falls and losses in value.
Tip: Further information on health, nutrition and well-being can also be found at investment-zukunft.
The fund exhibits elevated volatility, meaning that unit prices can move significantly higher or lower in short periods of time, and it is not possible to rule out loss of capital.