Scientific instruments are worth playing
The scientific and technical-instrument subsector provides essential analytical and measuring tools to a wide array of industries – from biotechnology research and development (R&D) to the testing of equipment for 5G mobile-network communications and sub-micrometre metrology for precision manufacturing. This breadth helps insulate the instrument sector from cyclical downturns in any one of the areas it serves.
Take Britain’s Judges Scientific, for instance. Worth £400m, it is an interesting UK example of a broadly based instrument company. Judges’ product range covers university engineering laboratories, electron-microscopy accessories, fire-testing equipment, textile-testing instruments, computer-controlled testing of soils and rocks, and optical-fibre testing. The stock has quintupled since September 2016 – an example of several excellent investments in this area.
The global success stories
The global leader in this field is Thermo Fisher Scientific, whose market value is around $175bn, marking a threefold increase since 2016. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s products include analytical
