We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Small-Cap Healthcare Stocks To Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK) stands against the other small-cap healthcare stocks.
Healthcare Sector: A Defensive Investment with Growth Potential in 2024
In difficult economic times, healthcare equities are sometimes regarded as a defensive investment. This is because, even in recessions, people usually do not reduce their usage of prescription drugs or other necessary medical services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimate that healthcare spending in the United States will grow at an average annual growth rate of 5.6% from 2027 to 2032.
Healthcare stocks are defensive, which means that investing in them can yield regular and stable returns for investors People will always require healthcare and medical services, regardless of the state of the economy or the performance of the stock market.
In the US, the healthcare industry is expanding rapidly. A recent estimate shows that the country’s healthcare spending grew by 7.5% in 2023, outpacing the nominal GDP growth rate for the same year. The record high of 93.1% of Americans having health insurance was largely to blame for the significant increase in healthcare spending last year. The global healthcare industry is projected to grow from $583 billion in 2022 to over $800 billion by 2027, with a 7% CAGR, according to McKinsey. Despite 2023 challenges like labor shortages and inflation, 2024 is expected to bring recovery and create attractive investment opportunities.
According to a December 2023 WHO report, global healthcare spending hit a record $9.8 trillion in 2021, or 10.3% of global GDP. However, spending distribution was uneven, with public health spending increasing globally except in low-income countries, where government health spending declined due to reliance on external aid. High-income countries spent about $4,000 per capita, while 11% of the global population lived in countries spending less than $50 per person annually on health. Despite the increase in public health spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, this growth is unlikely to continue due to economic challenges like slowing growth, high inflation, and increased debt.
As 2024 progresses, optimism in the healthcare sector is rising. Despite underperformance in 2023, financial analysts are expecting stronger results this year. BlackRock’s 2024 outlook highlights a “favorable risk-reward environment” for healthcare, noting that last year’s underperformance has created an attractive entry point for investors.
Our Methodology
For our methodology, we focused on selecting healthcare stocks with market capitalizations ranging between $300 million and $2 billion, characterized by high institutional ownership and positive analyst sentiment. After identifying the stocks that met these criteria, we ranked them according to the number of hedge fund holders as of Q2 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A scientist holding a flask of liquid in a laboratory, highlighting the research and discoveries of new treatments.
Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30
Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments for severe diseases influenced by protein growth factors. Its primary products, Apitegromab and SRK-181, target conditions like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and resistant cancers.
A major catalyst for Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK) is the upcoming topline data from the pivotal Phase 3 SAPPHIRE trial for apitegromab, expected in Q4 2024. Positive results could significantly boost investor confidence and potentially lead to FDA approval, dramatically increasing the company’s value. Beyond SMA, Scholar Rock’s pipeline includes SRK-439 for obesity and metabolic disorders.
Jay Backstrom, the President and CEO of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SRRK) stated in the Q2 earnings call transcript:
“Starting with our anti-myostatin programs, Scholar Rock was instrumental in bringing myostatin back into the forefront as a therapeutic target. With apitegromab SMA, we’ve reestablished as a neuromuscular target and our emerging data with SRK-439 suggest the best-in-class potential to address the muscle loss associated with GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment, leading to sustainable healthy weight management in obesity. In our TGFβ1 programs with SRK-181 in immune oncology, we have pierced the immunosuppressive armor to overcome checkpoint inhibitor resistance. And for our latent TGFβ1 selective monoclonal antibody for fibrosis, now referred to as SRK-373, we applied our deep structural insights and antibody engineering expertise to solve a riddle that has not been done before”.
As of Q2 2024, around 30 hedge fund holders held stakes in the stock with Samsara BioCapital being the largest stakeholder with 6,788,609 shares worth $$56,549,113. The average price target is $28.00, with forecasts ranging from $23.00 to $31.00, representing a 201.08% increase from the current price of $9.30.
Overall SRRK ranks 9th on our list of the best small-cap healthcare stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of SRRK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SRRK 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.
