The healthcare industry is notoriously volatile—company fortunes can be made or broken on the success of a single product or the results of a clinical trial, and it's not uncommon for stocks in this sector to see some of the wildest spikes (and drops) across the market. Investors keen to access the healthcare space but concerned about this turbulence might instead adopt a "picks and shovels" approach that focuses on companies providing essential equipment and services to the industry, rather than on higher-risk names in the pharmaceuticals space, for example.
Lab equipment stocks are often overlooked by investors considering healthcare, despite the fact that some of the companies in this subindustry are among the largest in the space. Given the host of external factors that could impact healthcare companies in 2026—shifting subsidies, an aging population with greater needs, inflation, the growing role of AI, and more—core lab equipment names may be even more appealing than usual. The companies below are some of the major players worth a closer look by any investor considering this industry.
