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Global healthcare: From laggards to opportunities

The healthcare sector sees an increase in utilisation rates amid massive interest in weight-loss drugs, but it also faces a post-Covid reset

    • Weight-loss drugs have the potential to reach US$80 billion in sales by 2030, up from US$6 billion in 2023.
    • Weight-loss drugs have the potential to reach US$80 billion in sales by 2030, up from US$6 billion in 2023. PHOTO: AFP
    Published Tue, Feb 20, 2024 · 07:03 PM

    FOR much of 2023, mega-cap technology stocks drove global equity market returns amid the excitement over artificial intelligence and its applications.

    Moreover, as the economy continued to defy expectations of a recession, defensive sectors were left behind. For instance, the healthcare sector delivered returns of 4.3 per cent in 2023, lagging behind most sectors and the broader equity market, measured by the MSCI World Index, which delivered returns of 24.5 per cent. 

    Top-performing healthcare segments

    The healthcare sector can be broadly broken down into five main segments: pharmaceuticals; healthcare equipment and supplies; healthcare provider and services; biotechnology; and life science tools and services.

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