As the deadly COVID-19 virus rapidly spread from country to country, it quickly became apparent that what started off as a public health crisis would have some profound economic implications as well. When the seriousness of the crisis finally hit home with investors, global stock markets plunged in a way that has barely been seen in living memory. Lots of people have lost a lot of money, and even if your health has not directly suffered from the virus, it is likely that your investments will have. In an especially volatile investing environment, protecting your wallet is no small feat, but here are a few investment tips to help you come out the back of the crisis with your finances largely intact.
- Gilead Sciences
The race to invent a vaccine against the COVID-19 virus is big money. Among the large number of companies producing vaccines that are currently undergoing clinical trials is U.S. bio-tech giant Gilead Sciences. If Gilead manages to crack the code first, it will land some of the biggest contracts the pharmaceutical industry has ever seen, leaving investors with a handsome return.
- Allied Healthcare Products, Inc.
One thing that almost every ICU in the world in desperately is short of at this moment of time is ventilators. As one of the U.S.’s leading respiratory therapy equipment companies, Allied Healthcare Products, Inc. is seeing a huge spike in its stock prices. With the pandemic forecast to get worse before it gets better, now could be a smart time to invest in companies the likes of Allied Healthcare Products which are set to play a key role in providing hospitals with the equipment they need to save lives.
- Clorox Company
A great hedge against the shock of the coronavirus is to invest in manufacturers of disinfectants. The California cleaning giant Clorox is one of the largest and most reputable cleaning product companies in the United States. Its stocks have already soared in the wake of the crisis, and it is a safe bet that the upward trend will continue as we become much more hygiene conscious to prevent viral outbreaks going forward.
- 3M
Another thing that has been sorely lacking from hospitals around the world is personal protective equipment (PPE). Hospitals have been caught off guard and have failed to stock up with sufficient levels of the PPE essential to keeping healthcare workers safe, as they fight valiantly to save our lives. Investing in one of the world’s largest manufacturers of PPE at this time looks like one of the more prudent investment decisions available to investors.
Investing at any time comes with inherent risk. This risk is heightened at times of economic volatility like those which we are passing through during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not to say that there are not some smart investments out there that will help you to ride out the storm. Be diligent with your research and the profits will likely follow.