I’m a long-term investor. Like Warren Buffett, I’d love to hold a stock forever. Even if that’s not likely, I do expect to keep a stock in my portfolio for five years minimum – preferably 10.
So not only do I look for great businesses, but I want to be invested in sectors with strong long-term fundamentals.
I can’t think of a stronger sector than healthcare.
Sure, technology is vital to our economy and is a source of growth. I like technology.
But can you think of a sector whose products will be more in demand over the coming decades than healthcare?
You may have heard this statistic: Roughly 10,000 people turn 65 every day.
One thing we know is that the older we get, the more healthcare we consume. Whether it’s from doctor visits, prescriptions or artificial joints, older people and their insurance companies spend a lot on healthcare.
In fact, the average retired couple will spend more than a quarter of a million dollars out of pocket on healthcare. And Medicare and other insurances will spend a lot more.
It’s not an understatement when we say your health is the most important thing.
So it makes sense to find the best healthcare companies to invest in for the long term. And since I’m the dividend guy, I want these top companies to pay dividends as well.
Let’s take a look at a few different areas within healthcare for some ideas on where to make money over the long term.
Biotech
Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) is a rare biotech in that it pays a dividend. It’s a blue chip biotech company that has been in business for 37 years and is very profitable.
Amgen has 16 approved products, including Xgeva for osteoporosis and bone cancer, Neulasta for boosting white blood cells during chemotherapy and Enbrel for rheumatoid arthritis.
Additionally, it has 31 drugs in clinical trials. Amgen is also working on six biosimilars, which are generic biotech drugs. Biosimilars could be big revenue generators as patients and insurers look for cheaper alternatives to expensive biotech drugs.
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