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The advent of the year 2020 has not been very exciting for the British healthcare industry. Excepting for some of the top multinational pharmaceutical companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, the others have yet to pick up significant trading activity on the Exchange. The severance of ties with the European Union is set to bring about structural changes in the way the industry functions in the country and consequently on the business performances of the companies operating in the same.
Below is the list of five companies belonging to either of the markets of the London Stock Exchange in the larger healthcare sector, based on the highest percentage price returns (YTD) since the beginning of 2020.
- Hutchison China MediTech Ltd - (LON:HCM) The stock of Hutchison China has given a price return of 12.1 per cent (YTD) since the beginning of 2020, which is the highest amongst all health care companies on the London Stock Exchange during the period.
The company had on 6 February 2020 had informed the Exchange that underwriters of its underwritten public offering of American Depositary Shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, previously announced by the company on 21 January 2020 and 23 January 2020, have now given notice to the company that they are exercising their over-allotment options. This will bring in additional proceeds of US$8.3 million to the company, taking the total amount raised from the ADR issue to US$118.3 million.
Hutchison China MediTech Ltd or Chi-Med is a Hong Kong headquartered Biotech company that works for the developments of immunotherapies in cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company is dual listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange.
- ConvaTec Group PLC â (LON:CTEC) The stock of ConvaTec Group Plc generated the second largest in terms of price return among all health care companies listed on the London Stock Exchange since the beginning of 2020. The price return generated by the stock was 7.5 per cent during the period (YTD).
The company had come out with a trading update on its third-quarter performance for the period ending on 30 September 2019. On an organic basis, the revenues of the company were higher by 4.6 per cent compared to the same quarterly period of the previous year.
ConvaTec is a United Kingdom domiciled Healthcare company that makes medical devices for critical care, wound care, continence and ostomy care. The shares of the company are listed on the Main Market of the London Stock exchange and form part of the FTSE 250 index.
- Smith & Nephew PLC - (LON: SN.) The stock of Smith & Nephew PLC generated a return of 1.4 per cent in price return (YTD) since the beginning of 2020 on the London Stock Exchange. The price return generated is the third highest amongst all healthcare companies listed on the Exchange.
The company on 24 January 2020 informed the London Stock Exchange that it had acquired California based Tusker Medical Inc. The acquiree company is the developer of the Tula System, an in-office solution for tympanostomy tubes, and its acquisition fits into the companyâs strategy to invest in innovative technologies that address unmet clinical needs.
Smith & Nephew PLC is a United Kingdom domiciled medical technology company. It has a product portfolio that is based on the innovative technological advances in the field which it offers in three categories of Orthopedic Advanced Wound Management, Sports Medicine and ENT. The company was founded in 1856 and it has operations in more than 100 countries. It grossed a total revenue of $4.9 billion in the financial year 2018.
The shares of the company are identified and trade on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker name SN. and also form part of the FTSE 250 index.
- AstraZeneca PLC â (LON:AZN) The stock of AstraZeneca PLC has given a return of 1.1 per cent in price return (YTD) since the beginning of 2020, which is the fourth highest amongst all health care companies on the London Stock Exchange during the period.
The company on 27 January 2020 provided an update on the results of clinical trials of its proprietary therapeutics Enhertu and Brilinta for treatment of Stomach cancer and cardiac diseases. The company on the same day also informed the Exchange that it had divested a portfolio of its Hypertension therapeutics to Atnahs Pharma in order to focus on its pipeline of new medicines. The company also informed that it will be terminating its licence agreement with Allergan for its therapeutic compound Briakinumab (MEDI2070) and would continue to develop it to strengthen the companyâs respiratory and immunology portfolio.
AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) is a Cambridge, United Kingdom domiciled multinational biopharmaceutical company that is involved in the development and commercialization of prescription medicines. The shares of the company trade on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, where they are identified with the ticker name AZN. The shares of the company are also constituents of the FTSE 100 index on the Exchange.
- Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC â (LON:DPH) The stock of Dechra Pharmaceuticals Plc generated the fifth largest returns in terms of price return among all health care companies listed on the London Stock Exchange since the beginning of 2020. The price return generated by the company was 0.6 per cent during the period (YTD).
The company came out with a trading update on the half-yearly performance of the company for the period ending on 31 December 2019. The Group net revenues of the company for the period increased by 7 per cent on constant Exchange (CER) as well as actual Exchange (AER) rates. In the European market, revenues grew by 13 per cent on CER and 12 per cent on AER, while in the North American market, revenues declined by 2 per cent CER and 0 per cent AER basis. Companyâs acquisitions Venco and Caledonian continued to perform ahead of expectations during the period.
Dechra Pharmaceuticals Plc is a veterinary pharmaceuticals specialist company. It has its business spread across the world, and it offers solutions where there is no other effective measure to treat specific medical conditions.
