Sector Concerns Not Scaring Clifford Fox Away From These 5 Healthcare Stocks

#3 Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN)

Shares Owned by Columbus Circle Investors (as of September 30): 836,352 shares

Value of Holding (as of September 30): $227.33 million

Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN) did not have a great third quarter in terms of stock performance, with its shares losing slightly over 10% during the three-month period. Nevertheless, the stock has gained almost 8% since the beginning of October, extending its year-to-date return to 19%. The Connecticut-based investment firm sold off a portion of its stake in the pharmaceutical company during the third quarter. Specifically, Columbus Circle Investors reduced its position in the company by 89,319 shares. It is also worth pointing out that Allergan was the most popular stock among the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey at the end of the June quarter. A whopping 151 top money managers were invested in the stock on June 30, with Paulson & Company, founded by John Paulson in 1994, being one of the top equity holders among them. The hedge fund firm owned 7.17 million shares in Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN).

#2 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY)

Shares Owned by Columbus Circle Investors (as of September 30): 3.95 million shares

Value of Holding (as of September 30): $233.61 million

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY) made the list of Columbus Circle Investors’ ten largest equity holdings at the end of the third quarter. In fact, the Connecticut-based firm was quite bullish on the biopharmaceutical company during the September quarter, as it lifted its stake in the company by 336,398 shares. Earlier this week, the New York-based company announced an agreement to acquire private biotech company Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals for approximately $2.07 billion. The latter company focuses on cardiovascular disease and develops product candidates that release nitroxyl, a molecule that enhances the function of the heart muscle and has beneficial effects on vascular function. The shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb are slightly more than 11% in the green year-to-date. Samuel Isaly’s OrbiMed Advisors held a 7.75 million-share position in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY) at the end of the second quarter.

#1 Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)

Shares Owned by Columbus Circle Investors (as of September 30): 3.47 million shares

Value of Holding (as of September 30): $341.13 million

Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) represents the second-largest equity holding and the largest healthcare-related position of Columbus Circle Investors as of the end of the third quarter. Nevertheless, the investment firm decreased its position in the biopharmaceutical company by 88,337 shares during the latest quarter. Gilead Sciences, the largest biotech company by market capitalization, has seen its shares gain 17% year-to-date despite experiencing two major pullbacks over the past three-month period. Even so, the stock is currently trading at a very attractive level, considering its trailing P/E ratio of only 11.44. However, the growing competition and worries about drug pricing might somewhat explain the cheap valuation. Just recently, the company’s Board of Directors approved a fourth quarter cash dividend of $0.43 per share, providing a current dividend yield of 1.58%. Jim Simons’ Renaissance Technologies owned 1.31 million shares of Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) on June 30.

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