Over the past year, the healthcare sector has significantly underperformed the broader market. Within this sector, some discounted stocks now present upside potential, with analysts believing the following two companies could see their share prices rise by at least 60% over the next year—Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) and HCA Healthcare (HCA).
Over the past several years, Viking Therapeutics has emerged as a notable player in the biotechnology field through its development of a next-generation weight-loss drug. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in 2021, weight-loss medications have continued to gain strong traction in markets with high obesity rates, such as the United States.
Among the many companies developing weight-loss drugs, Viking Therapeutics stands out because its lead investigational drug, VK2735, has entered the late-stage development phase. The company recently announced that patient enrollment has been completed for a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of this drug, with trial data expected to be released next year. Additionally, the company is developing an oral formulation of VK2735 and plans to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial for this version in the third quarter of this year.
Preliminary clinical testing suggests that VK2735 may achieve faster weight loss compared to Wegovy or the current market leader, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. It is precisely because this drug is in late-stage development, its notable efficacy, and its commercial potential that investors and analysts are generally optimistic about Viking Therapeutics.
Many market observers believe the company’s stock price could potentially multiply several times over, a scenario not uncommon when a biotechnology company receives its first FDA approval. Canaccord Genuity analyst Edward Nash has set a price target of $107 per share, anticipating the stock could more than double; BTIG analyst Jeet Mukherjee holds an even more optimistic view, with a price target of $125.
Investing in clinical-stage biotechnology companies typically carries higher risk, as pipelines often face pivotal make-or-break milestones. However, based on the encouraging trial performance of VK2735, the company’s probability of obtaining regulatory approval and achieving commercial success is considered higher than the industry average.
HCA Healthcare is the largest operator of healthcare systems in the United States, owning and managing 186 hospitals and approximately 2,400 outpatient care facilities across the U.S. and the UK.
Growth in patient volume has positively impacted the company’s fundamentals. In the fourth quarter of 2025, same-facility inpatient admissions increased by 2.4% year-over-year, contributing to a nearly 7% rise in total revenue, which reached $19.5 billion. Company management expects revenue growth to reach as high as 6% for the full year this year.
A significant driver of this growth stems from long-term demographic shifts in the U.S. population. The U.S. population is aging noticeably, with data from the 2020 Census indicating that the population aged 65 and over reached 55.8 million, accounting for 17% of the total population—both record highs. A recent report from market research firm Claritas projects that by 2030, this age group will increase to 71.6 million, representing 20.7% of the total population.
An expanding elderly population inevitably generates greater demand for medical services. As a leading healthcare services provider, HCA Healthcare stands to directly benefit from this trend. Concurrently, company management is proactively adopting innovative approaches, utilizing an artificial intelligence platform called Timpani to optimize nurse staffing and help alleviate the workforce challenges currently facing the U.S. healthcare system.
Overall, Viking Therapeutics, leveraging the late-stage clinical status of its weight-loss drug VK2735, combined with encouraging trial data and commercial prospects, is viewed by some analysts as a clinical-stage biotech company with a higher-than-average probability of success. Meanwhile, HCA Healthcare stands to benefit from the sustained increase in medical demand driven by U.S. population aging and is enhancing its operational efficiency through technological means.
