The pandemic created two types of investors… the ones who bought Moderna at its peak of $449 and are now watching in horror as it has cratered to $33, wiping out 92% of their investment, and the ones who saw the COVID vaccine boom as a temporary sugar rush and wisely stayed out.

The aftermath of the pandemic has been particularly brutal for Big Pharma, but now, with RFK Jr. officially joining Trump’s team as the likely Health and Human Services Secretary, things are about to get even worse. The longtime vaccine critic has been handed a government-backed megaphone, and pharmaceutical executives are having nightmares.

But while most of Big Pharma is getting pummeled, one company has managed not just to avoid the beatdown but to thrive in the chaos. Thermo Fisher Scientific has quietly climbed 57% since COVID first made headlines in the U.S., making it one of the rare healthcare stocks that hasn’t turned its shareholders into bag holders (a true unicorn in a sea of biotech wreckage). While Pfizer and Moderna investors are hoping one day they can breakeven, Thermo Fisher is chilling, backed by institutional money and a business model that RFK Jr. can’t touch.

Unlike vaccine manufacturers who are trying to reinvent themselves post-pandemic (RIP easy government money), Thermo Fisher isn’t in the crosshairs of RFK Jr. 's anti-Big Pharma crusade. Instead, the company operates as the backbone of the medical research industry, selling lab equipment, testing materials, and scientific instruments essential for drug development. 

While RFK Jr. could theoretically slow down the FDA’s drug approval process or curb vaccine mandates, he’s not about to outlaw beakers and microscopes (he’s been adamant he’s not entirely against big pharma, he just believes corporations need to be held in check). Thermo Fisher’s portfolio includes fluorescent dyes, test tubes, electron microscopes, and cell counters… essential lab tools that keep the life sciences industry running no matter what political storm is brewing in Washington.

Institutional investors and hedge funds see the writing on the wall. Phraction Management LLC recently increased its position in Thermo Fisher to $14.63 million, and hedge funds collectively own 89.23% of the company (if that doesn’t scream “big money confidence,” I don’t know what does). Unlike its struggling competitors, Thermo Fisher is also attractively valued, trading at just under 25 times 2025 earnings projections. That’s a relative bargain compared to rivals like Danaher and Bio-Techne, which trade at higher multiples in the high 20s and low-to-mid 30s.

Wall Street analysts are taking notice. Of the 24 analysts covering Thermo Fisher, 19 have issued Buy ratings, with an average price target of $658… suggesting a 22% upside from current levels. The company’s financials remain solid, reporting $11.4 billion in Q4 2024 revenue, reflecting a 5% year-over-year increase. Even better, Thermo Fisher’s management expects growth to accelerate, forecasting high single digit revenue increases in the coming years (in other words, they’re still making money.)

With RFK Jr. and Trump 2.0 taking aim at Big Pharma, traditional vaccine and drug makers are in a world of uncertainty. But Thermo Fisher seems to be operating in its own lane, immune to the regulatory and political threats hammering the industry. If you’re looking for a healthcare stock with a solid moat, Thermo Fisher might just be the company on the board.

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Stock.News has positions in Moderna.