Healthcare stocks come under limelight

New Delhi, Dec. 21: Shares of firms related to healthcare were in the limelight on Wednesday amid surging Covid cases in China and some other countries.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday reviewed the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Shares of Thyrocare Technologies jumped 14.85 per cent, IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals rallied 14.16 per cent, Vijaya Diagnostic Centre zoomed 11.74 per cent and Panacea Biotec climbed 9.50 per cent on the BSE.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals advanced 7.76 per cent, Metropolis Healthcare (6.94 per cent), Morepen Laboratories (6.80 per cent), Dr Lal Pathlabs (6.23 per cent) and Divi’s Labs (5.01 per cent).

The BSE healthcare index climbed 2.25 per cent. “Healthcare sector came into limelight while Covid averse sectors were in pain today,” said Santosh Meena, head of research at Swastika Investmart Ltd.

Though all other sectors bled, pharma stocks were on a high owing to renewed fears of a global Covid outbreak, said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.

“Domestic equities came under pressure after worsening of Covid situation in China and a sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in the US, Korea, Brazil, and Japan,” said Siddhartha Khemka of MOFS.