There's no denying that volatility in the stock markets over the past 18 months has presented challenges for investors across a range of risk tolerances and experience levels. Even so, there remains opportunity to invest in quality businesses that have compelling growth stories over the long run.
If you have $2,500 to spare -- money that you don't need for bills or any other immediate expenses -- there is no shortage of quality stocks worthy of investing dollars. Here are two such stocks to consider right now.
1. Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX 2.57%) is known for its long-standing leadership in the cystic fibrosis therapeutics space, where it remains the only company with approved drugs that treat the underlying cause of the genetic disease. These drugs are known as CFTR modulators. In layperson's terms, these drugs act at the genetic level by working on the defective CFTR protein. Currently, Vertex's portfolio of four approved products are all CFTR modulators. The availability of these medicines has had a notable impact on what a cystic fibrosis diagnosis can mean for patients, in terms of both quality of life and longevity.
This has helped create an addressable market that is not only durable but steadily expanding. In fact, in the 2022 earnings call, management noted that there are still upward of 20,000 individuals worldwide who could benefit from Vertex's approved portfolio of drugs but aren't taking them. Even as Vertex remains the indomitable figure at the forefront of the fight against cystic fibrosis, it isn't content to rest on this industry as a sole means of future growth.
The company has a rapidly expanding pipeline of drugs, with each of its candidates targeting addressable markets with multibillion-dollar potential. These candidates include a cystic fibrosis drug for patients who can't take CFTR modulators, a non-opioid drug for acute pain disorders, and multiple stem cell-based therapies for type 1 diabetes, to name just a few. The most likely candidate that could garner regulatory approval next is exa-cel, which it developed with CRISPR Therapeutics.
Exa-cel could pose a onetime functional cure for not one but two rare blood disorders: sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. While stem cell transplants have curative potential for individuals with sickle cell disease, they aren't an option for about 85% of the patient population. As for transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, as the name suggests, the standard of care for this illness is regular, ongoing blood transfusions for the rest of the individual's life. In short, exa-cel's approval could effectively change the standard of care for both of these diseases.
The potential of Vertex's pipeline, combined with its existing market-leading portfolio of profitable drugs, are all green flags for investors to consider this healthcare stock for a multiyear buy-and-hold position.
At its current share price, a $2,500 investment in Vertex Pharmaceuticals would give you about eight shares.
2. Teladoc Health
Teladoc Health (TDOC -5.16%) is continuing to serve the range of needs facing healthcare consumers of today as the telehealth boom continues. The company's growing slate of partnerships with private employers and insurers is enabling more accessible, affordable, and quality services amid an aging population and rising costs of treatment. In other words, the telehealth company's addressable market is still expanding. Currently, Teladoc already serves more than half of the Fortune 500 companies.
However, Teledoc has also ensured that many of the services available on its platform are accessible to patients without private insurance coverage. The company charges such patients a nominal fee. For example, the cost of a general wellness visit using Teladoc without insurance starts at $75. This flexibility ensures that Teledoc isn't shutting shop to a reasonable portion of the population.
Two key sources of growth for Teladoc's business moving forward are its chronic care segment and its teletherapy segment, BetterHelp.
Bear in mind, chronic care disease management and mental health each represent multibillion-dollar addressable market opportunities. Estimates show that the chronic care disease management market is on track to hit a valuation of $15 billion by the year 2031, while the mental health market is set to reach a valuation of $538 billion by 2030. Teladoc saw chronic care enrollment jump 16% in 2022 from the prior year, while its BetterHelp paying users soared 37%. Meanwhile, the BetterHelp segment alone raked in $1 billion in revenue in 2022, helping drive Teladoc's total full-year revenue of $2.4 billion, which was up 18% compared to 2021.
While the company has some work to do to get back to profitability, its net losses last year were due almost entirely to noncash impairment charges related to its pandemic-era purchase of Livongo. Even though it looks to have significantly overpaid for Livongo at the time, the integration of this company has been key to the continued growth and expansion of its chronic care segment.
Investors may be mistaken if they think this stock, which the market has discounted heavily over the past year, is down for the count.
Based on current share prices, a $2,500 investment in Teladoc would add about 97 shares to your investment portfolio.
