Big pharma stocks are a prized commodity among growth and income investors alike. The core reasons boil down to the fact that pharmaceuticals are an essential staple for millions of people, and the industry has been a hotbed of innovation over the past decade.
Nonetheless, pharmaceutical stocks do have a serious dark side. Patent expirations for top-selling products, unexpected competition, clinical and regulatory setbacks, and political headwinds are just a few of the reasons behind the absolutely hair-raising level of volatility within this group of equities. Pharmaceutical stocks, in fact, have consistently been one of the most volatile cohorts within the entire market since the early 2000s.
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