Vanguard Health Care Fund continued a streak of double-digit returns in 2015 with returns of 12.65%. That is below the fund’s returns levels of 2014 (28.52%) and 2013 (43.19%), but it is still in double digits, which was a considerable achievement in 2015’s challenging investing environment.
Vanguard’s most significant first-quarter transaction was the increase of nearly 69% to its stake in Incyte Corp. (INCY, Financial), a pharmaceutical company based in Wilmington, Delaware. Vanguard purchased 6,611,920 shares for an average price of $75 per share. The deal had a 1.06% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The stake, now 16,227,748 shares, is 8.67% of Incyte’s outstanding shares and 2.6% of Vanguard’s total assets. Vanguard is Incyte’s leading shareholder among the gurus.
Incyte has a forward P/E of 61.7, a P/B of 79.1 and a P/S of 17.5. GuruFocus gives Incyte a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
Incyte sold for $74.36 per share Monday.
Vanguard raised its stake in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN, Financial), a Tarrytown, New York-based pharmaceutical company, by almost 39% with the purchase of 888,996 shares for an average price of $414.39 per share. The transaction had a 0.71% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The stake, now 3,169,490 shares, is 3.02% of Regeneron’s outstanding shares and 2.52% of Vanguard’s total assets. Frank Sands (Trades, Portfolio) is Regeneron’s leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 3, 698,553 shares. The stake is 3.53% of Regeneron’s outstanding shares and 5.64% of Sands’ total assets.
Regeneron has a P/E of 68.5, a forward P/E of 22, a P/B of 10.8 and a P/S of 10.6. GuruFocus gives Regeneron a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 6/10.
Regeneron sold for $384.52 per share Monday.
Vanguard boosted its stake in Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX, Financial), a pharmaceutical company based in Boston, by nearly 29%. The guru acquired 2,840,830 shares for an average price of $91.01 per share. The deal had a 0.5% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The stake, now 12,668,241 shares, is 5.14% of Vertex’s outstanding shares and 2.22% of Vanguard’s total assets. Vanguard is Vertex’s leading shareholder among the gurus.
Vertex has a forward P/E of 16.9, a P/B of 17.9 and a P/S of 19. GuruFocus gives Vertex a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 5/10.
Vertex sold for $82.60 per share Monday.
Vanguard hiked its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO, Financial), a Waltham, Massachusetts-based laboratory equipment company, by more than 40%. Vanguard purchased 1,234,800 shares for an average price of $134 per share in a deal that had a 0.39% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The stake, now 4,315,800 shares, is 1.09% of Thermo Fisher’s outstanding shares and 1.35% of Vanguard’s total assets. Thermo Fisher’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Larry Robbins (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 5,933,331 shares. The stake is 1.5% of Thermo Fisher’s outstanding shares and 4.74% of Robbins’ total assets.
Thermo Fisher has a P/E of 29.5, a forward P/E of 16.4, a P/B of 2.8 and a P/S of 3.5. GuruFocus gives Thermo Fisher a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 9/10.
Thermo Fisher sold for $146.50 per share Monday.
Vanguard increased its stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (TSE:4519, Financial), a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company, by almost 55%. The guru bought 4,643,800 shares for an average price of ¥3,574.08 ($33.59 in U.S. currency) per share. The transaction had a 0.32% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The stake, now 13,139,400 shares, is 2.41% of Chugai’s outstanding shares and 0.9% of Vanguard’s total assets. Vanguard is Chugai’s leading shareholder among the gurus.
Chugai has a P/E of 33.7, a forward P/E of 29.8, a P/B of 3.3 and a P/S of 4.1. GuruFocus gives Chugai a Financial Strength rating of 9/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
Chugai sold for ÂĄ3,635 ($34.17 in American dollars) per share Monday.
Vanguard sold its 3,084,020-share stake in CVS Health Corp. (CVS, Financial), a Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based retailer and health care company, for an average price of $97.17 per share. The divestiture had a -0.6% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
CVS Health’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 5,082,510 shares. The stake is 0.46% of CVS Health’s outstanding shares and 1.89% of Pioneer’s total assets.
CVS Health has a P/E of 21.9, a forward P/E of 15.5, a P/B of 3 and a P/S of 0.7. GuruFocus gives CVS Health a Financial Strength rating of 8/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.
CVS Health sold for $101.45 per share Monday.
Vanguard sold its 3,217,520-share stake in Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (EW, Financial), a medical device company based in Irvine, California, for an average price of $82.56 per share. The divestiture had a -0.51% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
Sands is Edwards Lifesciences’ leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 10,924,382 shares. The stake is 5.09% of Edwards Lifesciences’ outstanding shares and 2.22% of Sands’ total assets.
Edwards Lifesciences has a P/E of 45.6, a forward P/E of 33.2, a P/B of 9.9 and a P/S of 9.4. GuruFocus gives Edwards Lifesciences a Financial Strength rating of 9/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.
Edwards Lifesciences sold for $106.86 per share Monday.
Vanguard sold its 2,096,300-share stake in Monsanto Co. (MON, Financial), a Creve Coeur, Missouri-based biotechnology company, for an average price of $90.35 per share. The divestiture had a -0.41% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
Monsanto’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Robbins with a stake of 14,078,428 shares. The stake is 3.22% of Monsanto’s outstanding shares and 7.81% of Robbins’ total assets.
Monsanto has a P/E of 29.9, a forward P/E of 16.2, a P/B of 9.9 and a P/S of 3.2. GuruFocus gives Monsanto a Financial Strength rating of 8/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.
Monsanto sold for $95.65 per share Monday.
Vanguard sold its 4,251,727-share stake in Zoetis Inc. (ZTS, Financial), a pharmaceutical company based in Florham Park, New Jersey, for an average price of $42.51 per share. The divestiture had a -0.41% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
Bill Ackman (Trades, Portfolio) is Zoetis’ leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 41,823,145 shares. The stake is 8.41% of Zoetis’ outstanding shares and 16.26% of Ackman’s total assets.
Zoetis has a P/E of 70.3, a forward P/E of 20.9, a P/B of 22.3 and a P/S of 5.1. GuruFocus gives Zoetis a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
Zoetis sold for $48.03 per share Monday.
Vanguard sold its 2,389,715-share stake in Sanofi SA (XPAR:SAN), a French pharmaceutical company, for an average price of €80 ($91.55 in U.S. dollars) per share. The divestiture had a -0.4% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
Sanofi’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Causeway International Value (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 1,451,382 shares. The stake is 0.11% of Sanofi’s outstanding shares and 1.82% of Causeway’s total assets.
Sanofi has a P/E of 22.2, a forward P/E of 13, a P/B of 1.6 and a P/S of 2.7. GuruFocus gives Sanofi a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 5/10.
Sanofi sold for €72.11 ($82.52 in American money) per share Monday.
Vanguard trimmed its stake in Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc. (Q), a Durham, North Carolina-based biopharmaceutical development company, by almost 60% with the sale of 2,842,060 shares for an average price of $63.31 per share. The transaction had a -0.39% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The remaining stake of 1,932,338 shares is 1.62% of Quintiles’ outstanding shares and 0.28% of Vanguard’s total assets. Vanguard is Quintiles’ leading shareholder among the gurus.
Quintiles has a P/E of 22.3, a forward P/E of 16.6 and a P/S of 1.5. GuruFocus gives Quintiles a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.
Quintiles sold for $69.10 per share Monday.
Vanguard reduced its stake in Agilent Technologies Inc. (A), a Santa Clara, California-based health care equipment and services company, by more than 54%. Vanguard sold 4,338,360 shares for an average price of $38.1 per share. The deal had a -0.36% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The remaining stake of 3,662,850 shares is 1.12% of Agilent’s outstanding shares and 0.32% of Vanguard’s total assets. Agilent’s leading shareholder among the gurus is PRIMECAP Management (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 5,128,870 shares. The stake is 1.56% of Agilent’s outstanding shares and 0.22% of PRIMECAP’s total assets.
Agilent has a P/E of 30.7, a forward P/E of 18.9, a P/B of 3.4 and a P/S of 3.5. GuruFocus gives Agilent a Financial Strength rating of 8/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 5/10.
Agilent sold for $41.71 per share Monday.
Vanguard sold more than half of its stake in Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. (TSE:4568), a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company. Vanguard sold 7,511,900 shares for an average price of ¥2,402.84 ($22.59 in U.S. dollars) per share. The transaction had a -0.31% impact on Vanguard’s portfolio.
The remaining stake of 7,417,200 shares is 1.05% of Daiichi Sankyo’s outstanding shares and 0.36% of Vanguard’s total assets. Vanguard is Daiichi Sankyo’s only shareholder among the gurus.
Daiichi Sankyo has a P/E of 5.5, a P/B of 1.4 and a P/S of 1.8. GuruFocus gives Daiichi Sankyo a Financial Strength rating of 8/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 5/10.
Daiichi Sankyo sold for ÂĄ2,538.05 ($23.86 in American money) per share Monday.
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