By
Zoe Stabler DipFAUpdated
Healthcare stocks can include companies that produce medical equipment and supplies, pharmaceuticals, as well as medical services and health technology. These have traditionally offered strong earning potential for investors. More recently, investors have been interested in the companies leading the way in the worldwide coronavirus vaccine rollout, which includes some UK companies. See how to buy health shares in the UK and compare some of the top medical and health stocks below.
If you’re interested in health stocks that are in the UK, there are several that you can invest in, such as:
We’ve listed some examples of health stocks with more information about them, and you can see an A-Z list below if you’ve got any in mind.
An Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical and biotech company, AstraZeneca created and released one of the world’s most successful coronavirus vaccines in late 2020, and is one of the key pillars of the UK’s vaccination programme.
Pfizer is an American pharmaceutical company and part of the Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in the US. Like AstraZeneca, Pfizer delivered a coronavirus vaccine that has been used extensively in the UK and US vaccine programme.
GSK is a British pharmaceutical company based in Brentford, and is one of the largest companies on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) by market capitalisation.
More than £5 trillion is spent on healthcare globally each year, and the healthcare sector represents a good opportunity for investors looking to grow their portfolio, both in terms of risk and diversification. Health stocks are also not as cyclical as other sectors, meaning they might be better insulated against wider economic downturns.
The coronavirus pandemic has further highlighted the important role of the medical and big pharma sectors, and attracted the attention of investors looking to benefit from the growing demand and focus on companies in the medical and healthcare industry.
There are a lot of rules and regulations in the health industry, and you run the risk of the competitors of companies that you’re invested in developing vaccines or medicines first. On top of this, vaccines and medicines go through many stages of testing before they’re approved, and need to fit specific guidelines for each country that they’re created for.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
Healthcare stocks can be rewarding, but can also have slow growth during long processes, such as while developing or testing products. You might notice these stocks grow rapidly when products are approved in certain countries or when these companies see advances in their technology or breakthroughs in research and development.
Zoe was a senior writer at Finder specialising in investment and banking, and during this time, she joined the Women in FinTech Powerlist 2022. She is currently a senior money writer at Be Clever With Your Cash. Zoe has a BA in English literature and a Diploma for Financial Advisers. She has several years of experience in writing about all things personal finance. Zoe has a particular love for spreadsheets, having also worked as a management accountant. In her spare time, you’ll find Zoe skating at her local ice rink. See full bio
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Canopy Growth? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Canopy Growth.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Green Thumb Industries? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Green Thumb Industries.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Curaleaf Holdings? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Curaleaf Holdings.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Genesis Healthcare? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Genesis Healthcare.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Allergy Therapeutics? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Allergy Therapeutics.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in 4D pharma? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including 4D pharma.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Aurora Cannabis? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Aurora Cannabis.
Thinking about buying shares in Evgen Pharma? We explain how to do it and compare a range of providers who will give you access to global markets.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Intuitive Surgical? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Intuitive Surgical.
Ever wondered how to buy shares in Stryker? We explain how and compare a range of providers that can give you access to many brands, including Stryker.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.