With long term unemployment falling for worrying reasons and labor force participation back to early 2021 levels, the job market looks stronger on the surface than it really is. Healthcare is one of the few areas still adding jobs, which can concentrate both risk and opportunity. This article walks through 3 healthcare sector stocks from the screener that are closely tied to this jobs story and explains why they may deserve a closer look.

The stocks covered below are just a small sample from this healthcare theme, and the full screen surfaced 11 more companies with equally compelling stories that are not covered here. To explore this idea in more detail, analyze the full Healthcare Sector Stocks list with the Healthcare Sector Stocks screener.

BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG)

BrightSpring Health Services runs a large home and community based care platform in the US, combining pharmacy services with hands on clinical support for Medicare, Medicaid and insured patients. The business is heavily skewed to Pharmacy Solutions, which generates about US$12.7b in revenue, with Provider Services adding roughly US$1.7b. At a market cap of around US$12.7b, BrightSpring sits firmly in large cap territory within the healthcare services space.

Investors looking at healthcare’s hiring resilience may find BrightSpring Health Services hard to ignore. The company is tightly linked to growing demand for specialty pharmacy and in home care, with raised 2026 revenue and EBITDA guidance and recent index inclusion reinforcing how central it has become to this part of the sector. Analysts point to earnings momentum and improving leverage as the company integrates acquisitions and invests in technology that can help hospitals and care providers do more with a constrained workforce. The flip side is meaningful debt, premium valuation and policy exposure, which leave little room for missteps. That tension between potential for growth and execution risk is one reason some investors take a closer look at BrightSpring.

BrightSpring’s hiring power, raised 2026 guidance and index inclusion suggest a story the market may not fully appreciate yet. Get the full picture, including how debt and policy risk fit in, with the 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign

Build your own healthcare hiring shortlist

BrightSpring Health Services and the two other stocks in this article all came from a single Simply Wall St screener, but the real edge is in building your own set of filters. Use our customisable Screener to mix valuation, growth and risk checks to suit your style, or tap into our curated Investing Ideas for ready made starting points.

Nanosonics (ASX:NAN)

Nanosonics is an infection prevention company that designs and sells automated disinfection systems for ultrasound probes and other instruments, along with consumables, software and audit tools that hospitals use every day. The company currently reports all of its A$207 million revenue from healthcare equipment, with a strong skew to North America out of its global footprint. At a market cap of about A$1.1b, Nanosonics sits in the mid cap medical equipment space on the ASX.

Investors watching healthcare hiring and hospital workloads may find Nanosonics interesting because its equipment and consumables sit right in the flow of day to day clinical work. Trends in automated disinfection, recurring consumable sales and new platforms like CORIS all point to a business that ties revenue to procedure volumes rather than headline job creation. At the same time, the stock trades on a rich P/E multiple and faces pressure from tariffs, competition and hospital capital budget constraints. That mix of solid business drivers and clear pressure points is one reason some investors look more closely at how Nanosonics is priced today compared with its long term opportunity.

Nanosonics sits where rich P/E expectations meet everyday hospital workflows, which raises a simple question. Is the current price missing something about its future procedure linked revenue story or the real pressure points that could hold it back in the analysis report for Nanosonics.

LifeStance Health Group (LFST)

LifeStance Health Group runs one of the largest outpatient mental health platforms in the US, offering therapy, psychiatric care and psychological testing both in person and through virtual visits for patients of all ages. The company focuses on treating a wide range of conditions from anxiety and depression to bipolar disorder and PTSD. At a market cap of about US$4.1b, LifeStance sits in the mid cap bracket of the US healthcare services sector.

LifeStance Health Group sits where two powerful forces meet: rising demand for accessible mental health care, and a fragile jobs market that keeps healthcare hiring relatively resilient while other sectors slow. Q2 2026 results showed strong revenue growth, better margins and enough confidence for management to raise full year guidance and approve a US$100 million buyback, which hints at growing cash generation as well as expansion plans. Against that, there is a rich valuation, a modest 3.4% return on equity and ongoing questions about clinician retention, reimbursement pressure and an inexperienced board. That mix of growth, capital returns and execution risk is one reason some investors are watching LifeStance closely rather than treating it as just another healthcare stock.

LifeStance’s revenue growth, rising margins and new buyback are starting to tell a different story about this mental health platform. See how the opportunity and execution risk really line up in the full narrative for LifeStance Health Group

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.