“Cross-border M&A also performed well, reaching $315.2 billion–the highest Q1 volume since 2007 when activity reached $357.9 billion. The healthcare sector was the most targeted industry, with deal value of $126.5 billion,” according to Yardeni Research.
PPH is home to companies with lengthy acquisition histories, including Actavis (NYSE: ACT) and Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: VRX), as well as firms that have been frequently mentioned as takeover targets. The latter group includes Mallinckrodt (NYSE: MNK) and Hospira (NYSE: HSP).
PPH’s largest holdings are Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NYSE: NVS) and Dow components Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). That trio combines for 21.5% of PPH’s weight.
Market Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF
