AbbVie, Eli Lilly among mega-cap healthcare stocks with A+ profitability grades

As the Q3 earnings season begins, investors are watching healthcare companies for insights into pharmaceutical demand, drug development, medical technology and healthcare spending.

Companies with strong profitability are likely to remain in focus as investors assess earnings resilience and financial performance across the sector.

Against that backdrop, below is a list of seven mega-cap healthcare stocks that have earned an A+ Profitability Grade under Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating system. The companies represent key segments of the healthcare industry, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, life sciences tools and services, and managed healthcare.

AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) leads the list, followed by Amgen Inc. (AMGN) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) and Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) round out the top five. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO), a provider of life sciences tools and services, and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH), a major healthcare and insurance services company, also earned A+ Profitability Grades. All seven companies carry the highest grade featured in this screen.

Seeking Alpha's Profitability Grade measures a company's ability to generate earnings and returns relative to its industry peers. The metric evaluates key financial indicators, including gross, operating and net profit margins, return on equity, return on assets and other efficiency measures.

Below is the full list of mega-cap healthcare stocks with A+ Profitability Grades:

1. AbbVie Inc. (ABBV), Profitability grade: A+
2. Amgen Inc. (AMGN), Profitability grade: A+
3. Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Profitability grade: A+
4. Eli Lilly and Company (LLY), Profitability grade: A+
5. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), Profitability grade: A+
6. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TMO), Profitability grade: A+
7. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH), Profitability grade: A+

Health Care ETFs: (XLV), (VHT), (IHI), (IXJ), (IYH), (FHLC), and (FXH)