Global Healthcare Strategy

The strategy invests in healthcare companies worldwide, seeking long-term growth of capital by focusing on healthcare companies that meet the team’s guiding principles. This approach allows for a diversified portfolio of high-conviction stocks within the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare equipment and supplies, healthcare services, and life sciences subsectors.

Philosophy

The team believes consistent outperformance can be achieved by investing in healthcare companies that address unmet medical needs, pursue underappreciated market opportunities, and demonstrate an ability to bend the healthcare cost curve. The team believes investment opportunities that meet these objectives, purchased at a discount to intrinsic value, should lead to outperformance over a full market cycle.

Managed by

Steven G. Slaughter

Portfolio Manager, Capital Appreciation

Steven is a managing director and portfolio manager at Manulife Investment Management, and is the lead portfolio manager for the global healthcare strategy, providing dedicated research on the healthcare sector for all diversified strategies managed by the company’s capital appreciation team. Before joining the company, Steve was a portfolio manager at Oak Ridge Investments. and worked at UBS Global Asset Management, where he directed healthcare investments for U.S. core and global portfolios. He has a background in private equity, and held various corporate management roles within the healthcare industry, including Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Labs, and Elan Pharmaceuticals.

  • Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Notre Dame; M.B.A., Northwestern University
  • Joined the company: 2018
  • Began career: 1986
Steven G. Slaughter

CJ Sylvester

Portfolio Manager, Capital Appreciation

C.J. is the portfolio manager for the Global Healthcare Strategy and provides fundamental research on the healthcare sector for the capital appreciation team. He has expertise within global therapeutics, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, specialty pharmaceuticals, and generics. Before joining the firm, C.J. was a senior healthcare analyst at Fred Alger Management. Other prior roles included an analyst supporting long/short healthcare portfolios at Catapult and at Lombard Odier, and he was also co-director of research and the executive director and lead analyst with the healthcare group at UBS Wealth Management. C.J. started his career at UBS Investment Bank as a pharmaceutical analyst in the U.S. equity research division.

  • Education: B.S. in Biology, Bucknell University; M.S. in Neurobiology/Physiology, The College of William and Mary
  • Joined company: 2020
  • Began career: 1997
CJ Sylvester

Vehicles

At Manulife Investment Management, we offer investment strategies through a variety of vehicles to suit a broad range of client needs. Contact our institutional sales or consultant relations team to find out if this strategy/vehicle is offered in your region. 

Separate accounts

Our separate accounts and separately managed accounts (SMAs) are designed for institutions and high-net-worth clients seeking tailored investment solutions and direct ownership of securities. 

CITs

Our professionally managed collective investment trusts (CITs) are available in certain qualified retirement plans.

Mutual funds

Mutual funds are liquid, professionally managed portfolios which are available to both institutional and retail investors.

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Imposrtant information

The material contains information regarding the investment approach described herein and is not a complete description of the investment objectives, risks, policies, guidelines or portfolio management and research that supports this investment approach. Any decision to engage Manulife Investment Management should be based upon a review of the terms of the prospectus, offering documents or investment management agreement, as applicable, and the specific investment objectives, policies and guidelines that apply under the terms of such agreement. There is no guarantee investment objectives will be met. The investment process may change over time. The characteristics set forth above are intended as a general illustration of some of the criteria the strategy team considers in selecting securities for client portfolios. Client portfolios are managed according to mutually agreed upon investment guidelines.

This information has been provided by Manulife Investment Management. All material is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and correct but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This is not to be construed as an offer to buy or sell any financial instrument nor does it constitute an offer or invitation to invest in any fund managed by Manulife Investment Management and has not been prepared in connection with any such offer. This information does not constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice or recommendations with respect to the securities and sectors listed.

References to securities, transactions or holdings should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell a particular security and there is no assurance that, as of the date of publication, the securities remain in the portfolio. Additionally, it is noted that the securities or transactions referenced do not represent all of the securities purchased, sold or recommended during the period referenced and there is no guarantee as to the future profitability of the securities identified and discussed herein.

The indices cited are widely accepted benchmarks for investment performance within their relevant regions, sectors or asset classes, and represent non managed investment portfolio.