Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV)

Likes healthcare in general, a larger weight for him. Healthcare has been the leader YTD, only 11 days into the new year. The XLV would make sense for a broad-based, US healthcare strategy. IXJ is the global version of that.

Bought this to be defensive, however, health care wasn't that defensive this year. Now, HC is past seasonality and he doesn't like it.

The recent inflows into healthcare are based on the new diet drugs like Ozempic. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have benefitted from this trend. These diet drugs are the AI equivalent in healthcare, are blockbusters. 

Parts of healthcare are doing very well: equipment, disposables, more surgical procedures, managed care. Does this translate into stronger earnings and growth even during an economic contraction?

She picked it to start the year, but it hasn't performed well in the first six months. Healthcare has lagged this year, but when the VIX is this low, you want to hold defence.

She hopes healthcare picks up in the second half. She feels we're in late cycle where staples and utilities are expensive, but healthcare performs the best among these. HC has underperformed in the first half, but should improve second half or 2024, because XLV holds so many good companies.

She expects a recession in 2024, and higher unemployment. She sees a lot of opportunity in healthcare.

Defensive name that provides exposure to health care sector.
Very strong sector as health care demand not going away.
Excellent prospects for healthcare during summer months.