After trailing broader equities over the past few years, will the healthcare sector finally bounce back in 2026? It's hard to predict those things.
No matter what happens to the industry, though, there are plenty of excellent healthcare stocks that look attractive heading into the new year. Let's consider three that are among my favorites to buy: AbbVie (ABBV 0.54%), Eli Lilly (LLY 2.22%), and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 2.58%).
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1. A reliable dividend payer
One of AbbVie's biggest selling points is that it is a phenomenal stock for income seekers. The drugmaker has a rare active streak of 54 consecutive payout increases, which makes it a Dividend King. That's a group of companies that have hiked their dividends for, at a minimum, 50 consecutive years. However, that means little unless a corporation still has an underlying business that is robust enough to generate consistent revenue, earnings, and cash flow.
Thankfully, that's what we have with AbbVie. The company continues to post results that match what we expect from a strong pharmaceutical giant. AbbVie's third-quarter revenue came in at $15.8 billion, 9% higher than the year-ago period.
NYSE: ABBV
Key Data Points
The company offered a range of products that contributed to this performance: schizophrenia treatment Vraylar, Botox Therapeutics, migraine medicine Qulipta, and, of course, its most important products remain Skyrizi and Rinvoq, two immunology medicines. These should continue moving in the right direction next year -- and beyond, for that matter.
According to some estimates, Skyrizi will be the second best-selling drug in the world by 2030 and generate some $26.6 billion in sales, eclipsing the peak that AbbVie's former biggest growth driver, Humira, ever reached. Rinvoq will be right outside the top 10.
In other words, AbbVie's prospects are attractive, especially when considering the numerous pipeline candidates and the potential to acquire new ones through licensing deals or acquisitions. AbbVie's dividend track record and strong business make it an excellent stock to buy.
2. A pharmaceutical growth powerhouse
Eli Lilly has been posting impressive growth numbers lately. The company's third-quarter revenue was $17.6 billion, up a ridiculous (by industry standards) 54% year over year.
Some might think Eli Lilly is unlikely to maintain that pace, but there's evidence that suggests it could. Heading into 2026, the drugmaker not only has the asset that is allowing it to generate these kinds of results -- tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro -- but also some pipeline candidates that will help it solidify its lead in the fast-growing weight loss market. That includes orforglipron, an oral weight loss medicine racing toward approval.
NYSE: LLY
Key Data Points
Even as everyone is aware of Eli Lilly's dominance in this field, fewer are paying attention to the company's continued push in other therapeutic areas. Eli Lilly wants to be a diversified company. To that end, it has invested in pipeline candidates in other fields, especially oncology.
These efforts are paying off. Eli Lilly launched Jaypirca, a medicine for mantle cell lymphoma, in 2023. Just recently, it earned approval for Inluriyo, a therapy for breast cancer.And the company has over a dozen active pipeline programs in oncology.
Eli Lilly isn't just a weight loss stock, although that area will drive significant growth for the company for the foreseeable future. However, the healthcare leader's shrewd diversification plans, as well as its ventures into artificial intelligence, make the stock a no-brainer heading into 2026.
3. A wide-moat medtech leader
Intuitive Surgical has not performed well this year. Investors are concerned about at least two things: the potential impact of tariffs on its financial results and increased competition, notably from Medtronic, which recently received clearance in the U.S. for its Hugo system. Medtronic will compete with Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system in urologic procedures.
Despite these potential challenges, though, Intuitive Surgical remains a buy for at least two key reasons. First, it has a wide economic moat that will allow it to navigate both of these threats. Intuitive Surgical has a large installed base of 10,763 da Vinci systems as of the third quarter. These devices are expensive and come with a steep learning curve, all of which contribute to the company's high switching costs.
NASDAQ: ISRG
Key Data Points
What's more, having been on the market for more than two decades now, there is significant clinical evidence for the da Vinci system's ability to improve outcomes for patients -- it is the market leader for a reason. Both factors grant Intuitive Surgical significant pricing power, enabling it to increase its prices, if necessary, to counter the effects of tariffs.
Second, Intuitive Surgical will continue to benefit from label expansions and increased procedure volumes, resulting in the sale of more instruments and accessories. This will help boost the company's revenue, earnings, and margins over the long run. These factors (and others) still make Intuitive Surgical a strong buy.
