Solventum Leads the Pack in Healthcare Supplies Stocks This Year
Healthcare Sector Performance: The S&P healthcare index (XLV) experienced a YTD increase of 12.2% by mid-December 2025, ranking as the sixth-highest performing sector among the 11 S&P 500 indexes.
Top Performing Stocks: Solventum (SOLV) led the healthcare supplies stocks with a YTD performance of +23.51%, followed by Haemonetics Corporation (HAE) at +2.73%, while DENTSPLY SIRONA (XRAY) recorded the largest decline at -40.94%.
Quant Ratings Overview: The performance of various healthcare stocks is accompanied by quant ratings, with most stocks in the list receiving a "Hold" rating, indicating a cautious outlook.
Healthcare ETFs Mentioned: Several healthcare ETFs, including XLV, VHT, IHI, IXJ, IYH, FHLC, and FXH, are highlighted as investment options within the sector.
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Analyst Views on SOLV
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- Rating Upgrade: KeyBanc Capital Markets has upgraded Solventum from sector weight to overweight, indicating positive progress towards achieving long-term growth targets, with a price target of $97 representing approximately 23% upside from the January 23 close.
- Growth Potential: Analyst Brett Fishbin noted that with new product launches, growth-accretive M&A, and a stable macro backdrop, Solventum could potentially achieve its organic growth objective of 4-5% ahead of its 2028 timeline, showcasing strong market prospects.
- Capital Allocation Strategy: Fishbin emphasized that Solventum has shifted to an offensive capital allocation strategy, suggesting that concerns over 2026 guidance may be overblown, thereby laying a foundation for future growth.
- Attractive Valuation: With an estimated 2027 EPS multiple of 11.4x, Solventum presents an attractive valuation compared to peers trading at an average of ~15x, potentially drawing more investor interest.

- Strategic Business Decisions: Companies can enhance their growth and profitability by divesting slower-growing segments.
- Focus on Core Operations: Spinning off less profitable businesses allows firms to concentrate on higher-margin opportunities.
- Market Reactions: Such strategic moves can lead to positive market perceptions and increased investor confidence.
- Long-term Benefits: Ultimately, these decisions can position companies for sustained success and competitive advantage.
- Solventum Upgrade: Keybanc analyst Brett Fishbin upgraded Solventum Corp (NYSE:SOLV) from Sector Weight to Overweight with a price target of $97, indicating confidence in its growth potential, closing at $78.91 on Friday.
- National Storage Improvement: Wolfe Research analyst Keegan Carl upgraded National Storage Affiliates Trust (NYSE:NSA) from Underperform to Peer Perform, closing at $32.68 on Friday, reflecting market recognition of its operational performance.
- Meta Platforms Rating Boost: Rothschild & Co analyst James Cordwell upgraded Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) from Neutral to Buy, raising the price target from $740 to $900, with shares closing at $658.76 on Friday, indicating optimism about its long-term growth.
- Cisco Systems Upgrade: Evercore ISI Group analyst Amit Daryanani upgraded Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) from In-Line to Outperform, increasing the price target from $80 to $100, with shares closing at $74.59 on Friday, reflecting a positive outlook on its market performance.
- Financial Sector Decline: As of midday Tuesday, the financial sector is down 0.7%, with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Progressive Corp (PGR) showing losses of 3.8% and 3.6%, respectively, indicating a weakening trend that may affect investor confidence.
- Poor ETF Performance: The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) is down 1.7% on the day and 0.73% year-to-date, reflecting the overall malaise in the financial market, which could lead to capital outflows from the sector.
- Healthcare Sector Follows: The healthcare sector is down 0.5%, with Solventum Corp (SOLV) and DaVita Inc (DVA) experiencing declines of 5.2% and 4.2%, respectively, indicating pressure in the healthcare industry that may influence investor decisions.
- Healthcare ETF Tracking: The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) is down 0.6% on the day, although it is up 1.06% year-to-date, but the poor performance of SOLV and DVA may impact the ETF's attractiveness.
- Strategic Acquisition: Solventum has completed the acquisition of Acera for $725 million, marking a significant milestone in its three-phased transformation plan, which is expected to enhance its competitive position in the acute care market.
- Technology Integration: The innovative synthetic tissue matrix technology from Acera will complement Solventum's existing advanced wound care portfolio, thereby improving the solutions offered to clinicians and enhancing customer satisfaction and market share.
- Financial Impact: The transaction is expected to be slightly dilutive to adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in 2026 but accretive starting in 2027, indicating long-term financial growth potential.
- Sales Forecast: Acera is projected to generate approximately $90 million in sales in 2025, further solidifying Solventum's position in the wound care market and laying the groundwork for future growth.
- Strategic Acquisition: Solventum has acquired bioscience company Acera for $725 million, aiming to enhance its advanced wound care portfolio by integrating Acera's synthetic tissue matrix technology, thereby improving its competitive position in the acute care market.
- Accelerated Business Transformation: This acquisition marks a significant milestone in Solventum's three-phased transformation plan and is expected to generate approximately $90 million in sales in 2025, further driving the company's growth in the rapidly expanding healthcare market.
- Financial Impact: While the transaction is anticipated to be slightly dilutive to adjusted earnings per share (EPS) in 2026, it is expected to become accretive by 2027, indicating the long-term value potential of the acquisition.
- Market Outlook: Acera's technology will provide clinicians with superior solutions, enhancing customer satisfaction and creating significant value for both patients and shareholders, thereby solidifying Solventum's position in the healthcare industry.









