Chinese Pharma and Healthcare Stocks Growing As Drug and Device Companies Attract Investors From the US

This is straight out of the Wall Street Journal and we all know China is fast catching up to the US in many areas and that includes healthcare, drugs and medical devices. So convinced is one insurance company, United Healthcare, recently purchased a China Gateway company that has a line of communication with the US FDA and offers their expertise on getting more of the Chinese products to market. I bring all of this to light to help bring an awareness around as to what is happening behind the scenes that all may not be aware of.

UnitedHealth subsidiary (Ingenix Subsidiary I3) Acquires ChinaGate – Working to Sell Chinese Products Globally

Companies do not buy other companies for “investment” purposes any more, they are working acquisitions and there’s a ton of private equity groups out there with such business models to where now through data intelligence, new ways of collaboration and generating money are being explored. The article states further that half of the global IPO offerings are coming from China. BD

Even as a giant stock offering for Agricultural Bank of China steals the limelight, China's pharmaceutical and health-care stocks have been steadily attracting more attention from a number of investors eyeing demographic trends and eager for countercyclical stories that are less affected by the vagaries of monetary policy and currency risk.

A similar story is playing out elsewhere in Asia, too, as rising incomes and greater government spending on medical care boost the appeal of companies positioned to benefit. Health care is also a popular investing theme in developed markets, particular those with aging populations. But the potential impact is broader in Asia, where governments are building out social safety nets needed to boost domestic consumer demand and reduce excessive reliance on exports, even as wealthier elites are willing to spend more for better hospital care.

Potential beneficiaries range from Indian makers of generic drugs to Southeast Asian hospitals offering high-end care to their own populations and so-called medical tourists.

Within Asia, China has become especially popular. Even after a recent sell-off, China health-care stocks as measured by the MSCI China Health Care Index are up about 15% this year, while health-care stocks around Asia, excluding Japan, are unchanged. By comparison, broader measures of Asia's markets are lower.

A big part of China's appeal is that it has companies producing drugs and medical devices that are well-positioned to tap the burgeoning domestic market.

"As the Chinese increase their surveillance and quality control, then a lot of this stuff that is saleable in China will be saleable globally," Mr. Mobius says. "That will of course expand the market."

THE VIEW FROM HONG KONG: A Prescription for Chinese Health-Care Stocks - WSJ.com