We recently published a list of 10 Best Healthcare Stocks For Long-Term Investment. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTGX) stands against other best healthcare stocks for long-term investment.

Rising Healthcare Costs and the Impact of Tariffs on the US Industry

In the US, healthcare expenditures and costs have been increasing. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, US healthcare spending increased 7.5% from 2022 to $4.9 trillion in 2023. In 2023, the healthcare industry made up around 17.6% of the US economy, up 17.4% from 2022. The expansion of Medicare and commercial health insurance are the two main forces behind this growth.

The impact of tariffs on this continuing trend has become a major topic of contention in the healthcare sector, as more and more US corporations are turning to China for deals on the next promising molecule, whether in the obesity or cancer arena. Versant Ventures managing director Carlo Rizzuto spoke on the effects of tariffs on healthcare on CNBC’s “Fast Money” on February 7. Tariffs might affect the sector in two ways, according to Rizzuto. Products developed in China and introduced to the US or other markets would be the first. The sector would need to see how the tariffs are set up in the market to comprehend how they would impact such trade operations.

Second, and more concretely, the US healthcare industry uses China as a huge hub for contract production and research. As a result, anything that raises that expense is probably going to make the market more difficult. An increase in costs will not improve the running of the healthcare sector, which is already facing pressure from investors.

China’s Role in U.S. Healthcare and Long-Term Investment Opportunities

Speaking about China’s enormous influence in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, Rizzuto stated that the vast majority of healthcare organizations use a Chinese CRO or manufacturing partner in some capacity during the research and development phase. As a result, it plays a crucial role in the way biotech and pharmaceutical companies function in the nation. From the tiniest businesses to the biggest, this pattern is very common.

Simply said, the United States lacks the infrastructure to handle the transfer, thus healthcare corporations cannot reshore all of their externalized R&D and production to the country. Therefore, it is quite hard to understand how such a large-scale reshoring might occur. With the quantity of tariffs applied, the costs to accomplish this achievement can be computed linearly.

According to McKinsey, healthcare EBITDA is projected to rise from a baseline of $676 billion in 2023 to $987 billion in 2028 at a 7% CAGR. Recovery from post-pandemic lows is anticipated to support the improvement in several segments, while growth is anticipated to be faster in other areas (such as specialist pharmacy and HST). Software platforms are essential to the healthcare ecosystem because they make it possible for payers and providers to operate more effectively in a complicated setting.

By automating processes, fostering data connectivity, and producing actionable insights, technological innovation (such as generative AI and machine learning) keeps opening doors for stakeholders across all segments. McKinsey went on to say that increased utilization and pipeline expansion (as in cancer) are projected to drive substantial growth in specialty pharmacy revenue. Specialty pharmacy profit pools are still growing as a result of the rise in the use of specialty medications.

Our Methodology 

For our methodology, we used a Finviz screener and picked stocks with a market cap of over 2 billion, a 5-year annual return of over 10%, and a low PE ratio under 20. We then ranked these stocks based on their total number of hedge fund holders as of Q4 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTGX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37 

Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTGX) is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in peptide-based therapies for blood disorders and inflammatory diseases, including polycythemia vera and ulcerative colitis. The development of extremely effective and targeted medication options, such as rusfertide, a prospective treatment for polycythemia vera with encouraging clinical trial outcomes, is made possible by the company’s patented peptide platform.

Through strategic partnerships, including a global agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical, Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTGX) has obtained an upfront payment of $300 million and milestone payments of up to $630 million. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson and the company collaborate on JNJ-211, an oral IL-23 receptor antagonist.

As of September 30, 2024, the company’s cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $583.3 million, up from $341.6 million at the end of 2023, demonstrating its strong financial condition. In the third quarter of 2024, Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTGX) reported a net loss of $33.2 million, which was somewhat better than the quarterly loss of the previous year, and $4.7 million in license and cooperation revenue. But in the first nine months of 2024, a $300 million upfront payment from its partnership with Takeda Pharmaceutical resulted in a net profitability of $143.5 million, marking a sea change.

Strong growth potential is indicated by this collaboration and corporation’s growing pipeline. Phase 2b outcomes in ulcerative colitis by Q1 2025 and top-line results for JNJ-2113 Phase 3 trials in psoriasis by Q4 2024 are important future benchmarks. Early 2025 is also anticipated to see the nomination of a development candidate for an oral IL-17 peptide antagonist and the findings of rusfertide Phase 3 in polycythemia vera.

Overall, PTGX ranks 8th on our list of best healthcare stocks for long-term investment. While we acknowledge the potential of healthcare companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PTGX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.