Health Care Stocks On The Rise With Help From 5 Stocks

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

All three major indices are trading down today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading down 22 points (-0.2%) at 14,429 as of Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 12:45 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,094 issues advancing vs. 1,811 declining with 142 unchanged.

The Health Care sector currently sits down 0.5% versus the S&P 500, which is down 0.4%. Top gainers within the sector include HCA Holdings (HCA), up 1.7%, Novartis (NVS), up 1.2% and Shire (SHPG), up 1.1%. On the negative front, top decliners within the sector include Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), down 1.9%, Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN), down 1.2%, Gilead (GILD), down 1.3%, Celgene Corporation (CELG), down 0.8% and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA), down 0.6%.

TheStreet Ratings group would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the sector higher today:

5. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (VRX) is one of the companies pushing the Health Care sector higher today. As of noon trading, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is up $1.00 (1.4%) to $71.54 on heavy volume Thus far, 1.0 million shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.3 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $70.57-$72.04 after having opened the day at $70.67 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $70.54.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and markets pharmaceutical products and medical devices in the areas of neurology, dermatology, and branded generics. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has a market cap of $21.4 billion and is part of the drugs industry. Shares are up 18.0% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are 12 analysts that rate Valeant Pharmaceuticals International a buy, 1 analyst rates it a sell, and 4 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Valeant Pharmaceuticals International as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, solid stock price performance and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including feeble growth in the company's earnings per share, deteriorating net income and disappointing return on equity. Get the full Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Ratings Report now.

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