Health care stocks were able to outperform the broader market in 2022. And some could rally some more this year. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF dipped 3.6% in 2022, far better than the broader S & P 500 , which slumped 19.4%. CNBC Pro screened for stocks in the ETF that have “buy” ratings from more than 55% of the analysts covering them, and average upsides to price targets of at least 20%. CVS is rated a buy by 58% of analysts with an average price target implying a 28% upside. The stock shed 9.7% last year — a smaller loss than the broader market. Earlier this week, CVS said its full-year earnings per share would likely come in at the high end of its prior range, while revenue would exceed previous expectations. Glucose monitor maker Dexcom also put out positive guidance, noting fourth-quarter revenue would come in ahead of the consensus estimate from analysts polled by FactSet. Nearly three out of five analysts rate the stock a buy, with an average price target reflecting an upside of almost 22%. Like CVS, Dexcom outperformed the S & P 500, albeit not by much, losing 15.6%. Bio-Techne was among the hardest hit stocks on the screen in 2022, tumbling 35.9%. But 2023 looks better, with 70% of analysts covering it rating the stock a buy and the average analyst expecting the share price to rally almost 28% in the next year. Wells Fargo analyst Timothy Daley upgraded Bio-Techne to equal weight from underweight last week, noting that “valuations have reset to reasonable levels while long-term growth prospects remain intact.” Fourth quarter UnitedHealth Group revenue and per-share earnings topped analyst estimates on Friday, according to FactSet. The managed health care and insurance company also reaffirmed 2023 full-year per-share earnings, revenue and cash flow forecasts. About 75% of UnitedHealth analysts rate it a buy, with an average price target implying a 20% upside. UnitedHealth gained 5.6% in 2022.
