This basket of highly profitable healthcare stocks compiled by Piper Sandler has crushed the S&P 500 by 22% over the last year. Here are the 7 stocks on the list.

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REUTERS/Jim Young
  • Investors should focus on high-quality stocks, says Piper Sandler's Michael Kantrowitz.
  • High-quality stocks have high profit margins, earnings growth + momentum, and stable balance sheets.
  • High-quality healthcare stocks in the S&P 500 beat the overall index by 22% over the last year.
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Piper Sandler's Chief Investment Strategist Michael Kantrowitz says investors should be focusing on high-quality stocks.

If market trends over the last year continue, then he's absolutely right.

Quality-factor ETFs have delivered sound returns for investors over the last 12 months. For example, the Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ) is up 27.5% since last June.

For Kantrowitz, quality means companies with high profit margins, earnings growth and momentum, and highly stable balance sheets. Piper Sandler's Macro Select model uses those four characteristics in its current iteration to identify attractive stocks.

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The model has an impressive track record. Over the last year, the S&P 500 stocks that rank in the top decile of the above qualities have beaten the overall index by 2.9%. Over the last five years, they've trounced the S&P 500 by 20.9%. The stellar returns track with the robust performance of quality factor ETFs over the last several months.

But over the last 12 months, top-decile quality stocks in one sector in particular have vastly outperformed: healthcare.

The S&P 500 healthcare stocks that rank in the top 10% in a model combining profit margins, earnings growth and momentum, and balance sheet stability have beaten the overall S&P 500 by an astounding 22% in the last year.

Many stocks have shuffled in and out of the top decile over the last year. Below, we've listed the seven healthcare stocks that currently sit in the basket. Performance over the last 12 months and industry groups are also included. Of course, past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future results.

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1. Cigna

ci
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Ticker: CI

Performance last 12 months: 26.5%

Industry: Healthcare providers & services

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2. HCA Healthcare

hca
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Ticker: HCA

Performance last 12 months: 23.8%

Industry: Healthcare providers & services

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3. Dexcom

dxcm
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Ticker: DXCM

Performance last 12 months: -8.2%

Industry: Healthcare equipment & supplies

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4. Iqvia

iqv
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Ticker: IQV

Performance last 12 months: 1.86%

Industry: Life sciences tools & services

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5. Resmed

rmd
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Ticker: RMD

Performance last 12 months: -1.71%

Industry: Healthcare equipment & supplies

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6. West Pharmaceutical

wst
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Ticker: WST

Performance last 12 months: -10.6%

Industry: Life sciences tools & services

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7. Charles River Labs

crl
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Ticker: CRL

Performance last 12 months: 4.7%

Industry: Life sciences tools & services

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