Q: I have been reviewing my health care holdings and I am disappointed in the whole sector. Their percentage of my holdings has dropped, and if I rebalance I should be adding another 50% to these holdings. I am unhappy with IHI and UNH, even ISRG is in the doldrums. Your thoughts on adding to the health care sector and these companies/ETFs at this time. Are there other companies much better suited that I am missing. I am tempted to remove the whole sector from my portfolio, as I am comfortable with risk.

Q: Health care as a sector has me puzzled. I was adding to my positions in XLV and IHI during 2023-2024. I was prompted to keep investing thinking demographics would favor growth; that elective medical procedures postponed would come roaring back in the years following Covid. Mostly good companies were held in the above ETFs, and I was comfortable investing also because of familiarity with products and services. Markets have proven me wrong. My cost base is markedly higher than valuations today. XLV is down ~5.25% over the past 12 months (year-to-date return is flat —down -0.05%).IHI, although slightly up ~4.28% YTD, has still not recovered from a 20% drop in 2022. (Losses I show are much greater and are not useable for tax).
Current officials in the US admin have no clue on how to go about drug price reforms. Worse: they don’t know that they have no clue. Reforms are necessary; and PBMs are rightly under scrutiny for opaque pricing practices. I say this notwithstanding that UNH has produced the largest dollar loss I have had in several years.
The science and med professionals who DO know how to implement sensible and substantial changes are fired and replaced by sycophantic, subservient ignorant types. Is it therefore prudent now to sell one or both of XLV and IHI and redeploy cash in other areas? OR, would one be giving up at possibly the exact wrong time? Is now finally the time that patience with XLV and IHI has a greater chance of paying off?

Q: There was an article in the Globe and Mail today by David Rosenberg about the aging population and he suggested health care related investments such as health care REITS, pharma, devices, and services. What do you think of this idea and can you give me a few recommendations in canada and the US for each of the 4 categories (health reits, pharma, devices, sefrvices)? A mix of ETFS and individual stocks would be great.