NEW YORK, Dec. 7 (GenomeWeb News) - Shares in genomic-based diagnostics and tools companies outperformed big drug makers and firms in other healthcare industry segments, according to a Pacific Growth Equities report analyzing stocks in the healthcare industry.
The weighted average total return of 109 diagnostic- and tool-company stocks analyzed by the investment bank increased 9.44 percent in December, compared with 7.66 percent for 151 medical technology stocks; 7.54 percent for 303 drugs stocks; 6.37 percent for nine "ancillary" stocks; and 5.65 percent for 71 services stocks.
Diagnostics and tools stocks included companies such as Applied Biosystems, whose shares increased 2 percent during the month; Cepheid, whose shares increased 7.93 percent; Charles River Labs, whose shares increased 1.58 percent; Ciphergen, whose shares increased 33.54 percent; Harvard Biosciences, whose shares increased 16.92 percent; Illumina, whose shares increased 24.74 percent; Invitrogen, whose shares increased 10.96 percent; Strategene, whose shares increased 5.56 percent; and Third Wave Tech, whose shares increased 6.7 percent.