Healthcare Sector Shows Divided Investor Sentiment

The healthcare sector has shown divided investor sentiment, according to short interest data from late August 2026. The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) is a good indicator of this trend.

Strong bearish bets remain heavily concentrated in high-volatility names like SELLAS Life Sciences Group (SLS) and Hims & Hers Health (HIMS). These two stocks have seen significant short interest, with SLS having 7.8% of its float sold short and HIMS at 4.5%.

On the other hand, some healthcare stocks are seeing less bearish bets, such as Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) with only 1.2% of its float sold short.