Health care is a recession-proof sector since many patients have no choice but to undergo treatments no matter what the broader economy is like –even if those cures are often expensive. That adds up to a stable customer base for most companies. However, don’t be fooled into thinking every health stock is a great buy. A number of life sciences companies are struggling and have seen shares sell off sharply in recent months.
I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. This week, I’ve got seven life science stocks to sell.
Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets a “D” or “F” according to my research, meaning it is a “sell” or “strong sell.”
Bruker Corp. (NASDAQ:BRKR) develops scientific instruments for use in the life science, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical and molecular diagnostics research fields. BRKR stock is down 23% since Jan. 1.
Charles River Laboratories International Inc. (NYSE:CRL) develops solutions that accelerate the drug discovery and development process. Like other life sciences stocks, CRL is down nearly 21% year-to-date.
Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) provides services, internationally, to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. A drop of 24% year-to-date has ensured ICLR stock a spot on this list.
Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN) is involved with various genetic analysis solutions, including sequencing, genotyping, gene expression and molecular diagnostics. ILMN stock has posted an incredible loss of 56% in just the last 11 months.
Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:LIFE) is a global life services company that develops a wide range of products and services. LIFE stock is down 29%, year-to-date.
PerkinElmer Inc. (NYSE:PKI) works closely with the diagnostics, research, environmental and safety, industrial and laboratory services markets. PKI stock has lost 26% year-to-date, compared to only slight losses by the broader markets in the same time frame.
Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGEN) has developed more than 500 consumable products and automated solutions used for a variety of solutions. Similar to its other competitors on this list, QGEN stock has dipped 25% in 2011.
Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly-traded stocks with Louis Navellier’s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.
