Originally published on Best Stocks Category: best stocks to buy now The healthcare industry is growing rapidly, and industrial stocks within the sector are following suit. The top healthcare equipment stocks to buy in 2019 have seen their market values grow significantly over the past year. These are companies that investors should keep on their radar moving forward as new healthcare reform measures take effect and innovations in IT and other non-clinical services continue to drive up demand for clinical devices. Negative headlines about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, have caused some investors to shy away from investing in healthcare companies. But those who have stayed bullish on this sector have been rewarded with double-digit returns from some of its top players. We’ll dive deeper into why now is a great time to invest in these industrial stocks, but first let’s take a look at three top stocks you can buy today to build your portfolio.AscensionAscension Health is the largest nonprofit health care organization in the country. The company operates through three segments: physician practice, hospitals, and employee health. The physician practice segment includes medical groups, independent practices, and outpatient facilities that provide services to the Medicare Advantage, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and other government plans, as well as other commercial payers. The hospitals segment manages general acute care hospitals and specialized facilities, including behavioral health, rehabilitation, and long-term acute care facilities. The employee health segment provides health care services to employers, their employees, and their families through arrangements with various insurance plans. The company’s earnings have been on a steady climb since 2017, and it has posted positive earnings in each of the last five quarters. Ascension Health currently has a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 16.5 and a forward P/E of 9.5. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which is expected to increase by 4% in each of the next three quarters.Baxter International Inc.Baxter International is a diversified health care company that manufactures and sells medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and diagnostic tests. The company operates through four segments: medical devices, pharmaceuticals, bioscience, and other. The medical devices segment offers a range of disposable and reusable equipment for use in clinical settings, including surgical procedure kits, anesthesia machines, patient monitoring devices, and other diagnostic testing and treatment equipment. The pharmaceuticals segment manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products, including IVIVH products, and certain other injectable drugs. The bioscience segment focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of innovative products intended to improve the health and quality of life of people and animals. The other segment consists of specialized businesses that support the company’s other three segments. The company also provides contract manufacturing services to other healthcare companies. Baxter International has seen steady growth in its revenues and earnings, and it is expected to see both of these metrics increase significantly over the next few quarters as new healthcare reform measures take effect. The company has a trailing P/E of 28.4 and a forward P/E of 19.3. Baxter pays a quarterly dividend of $0.72 per share, which is expected to increase by 10% in each of the next three quarters.B. Braun Melsungen AGB. Braun Melsungen AG is a diversified healthcare company that provides a range of products and services to hospitals and other healthcare providers. The company operates through four segments: medical devices, pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and hospital hygiene. The medical devices segment offers a range of disposable and reusable equipment for use in clinical settings, including surgical procedure kits, anesthesia machines, patient monitoring devices, and other diagnostic testing and treatment equipment. The pharmaceutical segment manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products, including IVIVH products, and certain other injectable drugs. The diagnostic segment focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of diagnostic products, including laboratory analyzers and reagents, blood collection products, and point-of-care testing systems. The hospital hygiene segment designs and manufactures products for cleaning and disinfecting hospitals and other healthcare environments. The company also provides contract manufacturing services to other healthcare companies. B. Braun Melsungen AG has seen significant growth in its revenues and earnings over the past year, and analysts expect both metrics to continue to increase over the next few quarters as new healthcare reform measures take effect. The company also recently announced plans to acquire a majority stake in Connecticut-based medical device manufacturer Boston Scientific. The proposed acquisition is expected to be a positive move for B. Braun and its shareholders, expanding the company’s global footprint and product offerings. B. Braun currently has a trailing P/E of 11.6 and a forward P/E of 8.9. The company pays a dividend of $0.72 per share, which is expected to remain unchanged in each of the next three quarters.Cardinal Health Inc.Cardinal Health is a diversified healthcare company that provides medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment, and diagnostic services to healthcare providers. The company operates through three segments: medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and surgical. The medical supplies segment distributes a range of medical supplies, including surgical instruments, masks, gowns, drapes, and other items used in clinical settings. The pharmaceuticals segment manufactures, markets, and distributes a range of pharmaceutical products, including IVIVH products, and certain other injectable drugs. The surgical segment provides medical devices, consumables, and equipment related to surgery and interventional procedures, as well as diagnostic imaging equipment used in interventional procedures. The company also provides contract manufacturing services to other healthcare companies. Cardinal Health has seen steady growth in its revenues and earnings over the past year, but analysts expect both metrics to increase further as new healthcare reform measures take effect. The company currently has a trailing P/E of 22.8 and a forward P/E of 19.6. Cardinal pays a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, which is expected to remain unchanged in each of the next three quarters.Medtronic plc.Medtronic is a diversified medical technology company that provides medical devices, services, and related technologies. The company operates through five segments: vascular, interventional and diagnostic, diabetes, patient care, and other. The vascular segment designs, manufactures, and distributes products used in vascular interventional procedures, including the acquisition, deployment, and retrieval of vascular catheters and the control of blood flow through the use of stents or other implantable devices, as well as products used in the treatment of vascular diseases. The interventional and diagnostic segment provides products used in diagnostic and interventional procedures, including catheters, guidewires, balloons, navigation and navigation systems, and ultrasound systems. The diabetes segment provides blood glucose monitoring systems, insulin delivery systems, and diabetes management systems. The patient care segment designs, manufactures, and sells products used in patient care, including ostomy and wound care, urology, orthopedics, respiratory, and cardiology. The other segment provides contract manufacturing services to other healthcare companies. Medtronic has seen rapid growth in its revenues and earnings over the past year, and analysts expect both metrics to continue to increase over the next few quarters as new healthcare reform measures take effect. The company currently has a trailing P/E of 19.4 and a forward P/E of 14.2. Medtronic pays a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, which is expected to remain unchanged in each of the next three quarters.ConclusionThe healthcare sector is growing faster than the rest of the economy, so healthcare stocks make a lot of sense for long-term investors. However, picking the right stocks can be a challenge because there are so many stocks to choose from in this large sector. To narrow down your choices, start by looking for stocks that have increased in value over the past year. Then, you can use the information in this article to decide which stocks are worth buying and which ones you should avoid.