The coronavirus outbreak put immense pressure on the healthcare industry, forcing pharmaceutical institutions to roll out clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine at breakneck speed. However, many other companies also played a huge role in identifying symptoms and keeping the virus under control, which sparked significant innovations in the medical technology market.
According to data presented by AksjeBloggen.com, the combined market capitalization of Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, Siemens AG, and Cardinal Health Inc., as the five biggest MedTech companies globally surged by $40bn year-over-year, reaching $394.3bn in October.
Abbott Laboratories Market Cap Jumped by 31%, the Biggest Increase in 2020
The World Health Organization defines medical technology, or MedTech, as the use of knowledge and technology in devices, medicines, and procedures to advance human health. One aspect of that which has been drawing more and more attention lately is remote healthcare services or telemedicine, as the growing number of people seek medical advice from the safety of their homes.
In September 2019, the combined market capitalization of the five major Medtech companies amounted to $354.2bn, revealed the Yahoo Finance data. By the end of the year, their combined value of shares rose to $398.7bn.
However, the first quarter of 2020 witnessed a significant drop, with the figure plunging to $359.1bn after the stock market crash in March. The following months brought a recovery, with the combined market capitalization of the five companies rising to $385.4bn in June.
The increasing trend continued in the fourth quarter, with the figure increasing by $8.9bn between June and October.
As the leading MedTech company globally, Johnson & Johnson witnessed an almost $40bn increase in the market capitalization year-over-year, growing from $340.3bn in September 2019 to around $380bn last week.
However, statistics indicate that Abbott Laboratories, the second-largest MedTech firm, witnessed the most significant market cap growth in 2020. In December 2019, the combined value of shares of the Chicago-based healthcare company specialized in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic treatments, and medical devices amounted to $153bn. After falling to 139.5bn in March, this figure recovered to $161.8bn in June and continued rising.
In August, the company announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had issued Emergency Use Authorization for its BinaxNOW COVID-19 portable and affordable antigen test that can deliver results within 15 minutes. Since March, the company has got US authorizations for five other coronavirus tests, including the ID Now that can provide results within minutes.
The Yahoo Finance data show Abbott Laboratories market cap jumped to $194.1bn last week, a 31% increase year-over-year.
Siemens AG Market Cap Rose by 20% Year-over-Year
As one of the leading manufacturers and developers of medical devices in the industry, Siemens AG has also witnessed substantial market cap growth in 2020. Their products mostly center around diagnostic equipment and medical imaging systems, the largest contributor of more than €86.8 billion in revenue in the 2019 fiscal year. Statistics show the combined value of the German company's shares rose by 20% year-over-year, rising from $87.4bn in September 2019 to $104.4bn last week.
The market capitalization of Medtronic plc, the Irish firm that has been at the top of the industry for nearly three decades, rose by 3.5% YoY. In December 2019, the market cap of the medical device company peaked at $151.3bn. After a sharp fall to $120.8bn in March, this figure recovered to $150.4bn last week.
The Yahoo Finance data indicate that Cardinal Health, Inc., an American multinational health care services company providing supplies to more than 75% of the US hospitals, witnessed the smallest increase in the combined value of shares. Statistics show its market cap rose by $350 million after the stock market crash in March, landing at $14.3bn last week, a 3.7% increase year-over-year.
