Research stocks

The best research stocks depend on your portfolio and investment goals — while volatility can be ideal for day traders, long-term investors will want to look to stocks with steadier gains over time.

Our picks for the best research stocks

We round up a selection of stocks in or related to the medical industry, weighting the list more heavily towards popular mid- and large-cap US stocks.

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1. Biocept (BIOC)

Biocept, Inc. , a molecular oncology diagnostics company, develops and commercializes proprietary clinical diagnostic laboratory assays designed to identify rare tumor cells and cell-free tumor DNA from blood and cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF in the United States. Its cancer assays provide information to healthcare providers to identify oncogenic alterations that qualify a subset of cancer patients for targeted therapy at diagnosis, progression, and monitoring to identify resistance mechanisms.

• Previous close price: $1.48
• Market capitalization: $3,991,565
• 1 year performance: 72.09%

Buy BIOC stock on Interactive Brokers

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2. Opko Health (OPK)

OPKO Health, Inc. , a healthcare company, engages in the diagnostics and pharmaceuticals businesses in the United States, Ireland, Chile, Spain, Israel, Mexico, and internationally. The company's Diagnostics segment operates BioReference Laboratories that offers laboratory testing services for the detection, diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring, and treatment of diseases, including esoteric testing, molecular diagnostics, anatomical pathology, genetics, women's health, and correctional healthcare to physician offices, clinics, hospitals, employers, and governmental units; and 4Kscore prostate cancer test.

• Previous close price: $1.64
• Market capitalization: $1,267,813,504
• 1 year performance: -20.00%

Buy OPK stock on Interactive Brokers

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3. Natera (NTRA)

Natera, Inc. , a diagnostics company, develops and commercializes molecular testing services worldwide. Its products include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for chromosomal abnormalities of a fetus, as well as in twin pregnancies; Horizon carrier screening test for individuals and couples determine if they are carriers of genetic variations that cause certain genetic conditions; Vistara single-gene NIPT screens for 25 single-gene disorders that cause severe skeletal, cardiac, and neurological conditions; Spectrum, preimplantation genetic tests for couples undergoing IVF; Anora that analyzes miscarriage tissue from women; Empower, a hereditary cancer screening test; and non-invasive prenatal paternity product, which allows a couple to establish paternity without waiting for the child to be born.

• Previous close price: $117.29
• Market capitalization: $6,136,328,192
• 1 year performance: 1.26%

Buy NTRA stock on Interactive Brokers

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4. Danaher Corporation (DHR)

Danaher Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services worldwide. The Biotechnology segments offers bioprocess technologies, consumables, and services; lab filtration, separation, and purification; lab-scale protein purification and analytical tools; reagents, membranes and services; and healthcare filtration solutions. The Life Sciences segment provides mass spectrometers; flow cytometry, genomics, lab automation, centrifugation, particle counting and characterization; microscopes; genomics consumables; and Gene and Cell Therapy to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical, and life sciences companies, as well as universities, medical schools and research institutions, and various industrial manufacturers.

• Previous close price: $254.46
• Market capitalization: $187,371,585,536
• 1 year performance: N/A
• P/E ratio: 29.7852

Buy DHR stock on Interactive Brokers

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5. IDEXX Laboratories (IDXX)

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. develops, manufactures, and distributes products primarily for the companion animal veterinary, livestock and poultry, dairy, and water testing markets worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Companion Animal Group; Water Quality Products; and Livestock, Poultry and Dairy.

• Previous close price: $455.35
• Market capitalization: $37,412,859,904
• 1 year performance: N/A
• P/E ratio: 49.0414

Buy IDXX stock on Interactive Brokers

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6. Co-Diagnostics (CODX)

Co-Diagnostics, Inc. , a molecular diagnostics company, develops, manufactures, and sells reagents used for diagnostic tests that function through the detection and/or analysis of nucleic acid molecules in the United States and internationally. It offers polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests for COVID-19, influenza, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, human papillomavirus, malaria, chikungunya, dengue, and the zika virus; three multiplexed tests to test mosquitos for the identification of diseases carried by the mosquitos; and molecular tools for detection of infectious diseases, liquid biopsy for cancer screening, and agricultural applications.

• Previous close price: $1.03
• Market capitalization: $38,486,124
• 1 year performance: -68.21%

Buy CODX stock on Interactive Brokers

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7. DexCom (DXCM)

DexCom, Inc. , a medical device company, focuses on the design, development, and commercialization of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems in the United States and internationally. The company provides its systems for use by people with diabetes, as well as for use by healthcare providers.

• Previous close price: $92.63
• Market capitalization: $36,962,263,040
• 1 year performance: N/A
• P/E ratio: 116.2134

Buy DXCM stock on Interactive Brokers

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8. Laboratory Corporation of America (LH)

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics and Labcorp Drug Development. The company offers various tests, such as blood chemistry analyses, urinalyses, blood cell counts, thyroid tests, PAP tests, hemoglobin A1C and vitamin D, prostate-specific antigens, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis C tests, microbiology cultures and procedures, and alcohol and other substance-abuse tests.

• Previous close price: $205.20
• Market capitalization: $18,042,503,168
• 1 year performance: -9.10%
• P/E ratio: 18.8207

Buy LH stock on Interactive Brokers

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9. Agilent Technologies (A)

Agilent Technologies, Inc. provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers liquid chromatography systems and components; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry systems; gas chromatography systems and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instruments; atomic absorption instruments; microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry instruments; raman spectroscopy; cell analysis plate based assays; flow cytometer; real-time cell analyzer; cell imaging systems; microplate reader; laboratory software; information management and analytics; laboratory automation and robotic systems; dissolution testing; vacuum pumps, and measurement technologies.

• Previous close price: $112.47
• Market capitalization: $33,188,145,152
• 1 year performance: -12.14%
• P/E ratio: 29.6937

Buy A stock on Interactive Brokers

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10. Illumina (ILMN)

Illumina, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets life science tools and integrated systems for large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function. It operates through Core Illumina and GRAIL segments.

• Previous close price: $138.35
• Market capitalization: $23,822,567,424
• 1 year performance: -34.18%

Buy ILMN stock on Interactive Brokers

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11. Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO)

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services in the United States and internationally. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment offers reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and medical research, discovery, and production of drugs and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of infections and diseases; and solutions include biosciences, genetic sciences, clinical next-generation sequencing, bio production to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, clinical, healthcare, academic, and government markets.

• Previous close price: $504.89
• Market capitalization: $195,958,407,168
• 1 year performance: N/A
• P/E ratio: 34.681

Buy TMO stock on Interactive Brokers

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Note: The dollar amounts in the table below are in Canadian dollars.

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades.

Bottom line

While it's possible to turn a profit investing in research stocks, keep in mind that — like any investment — research stocks are not immune to risk. These stocks are subject to fluctuating conditions — both in the market and in the medical industry, so carefully vet your picks before you invest. And if you're new to investing, or if it's been awhile since you've taken a critical look at your investing accounts, compare brokers to make sure you're getting the best features in your trading account.