Healthcare never sleeps. There is always demand for medical services, regardless of the state of the economy. Companies that offer these necessary goods and are innovative enough to keep up with the changing trends in the sector tend to last. That describes Johnson Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and (NYSE: MDT) well. Both are among the largest healthcare companies in the world, have proven innovative abilities, and have long track records of success. And despite their failure to keep pace with the market this year, Johnson Johnson and Medtronic are still worth investing in. Let's discuss why.

Johnson Johnson's business spans the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. It is one of the more prominent players in both. Its portfolio of products across these businesses is vast, comprehensive, and diversified. Within pharmaceuticals, Johnson Johnson develops drugs in the fields of oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, and more. It boasts more than 10 blockbuster medicines, too. Its medical device segment operates across vision, surgery, orthopedics, and an interventional solutions franchise.

The company's revenue and earnings are generally predictable. In other words, Johnson Johnson's business looks like a picture of stability, at least on paper. That hasn't been the case in recent years, though. Various troubles, especially legal and regulatory ones, have harmed its business and image. That includes the thousands of lawsuits it faces regarding its talc powder -- plaintiffs allege it gave them cancer -- and a new law in the U.S. that will allow Medicare to negotiate the price of some medicines.

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Source Fool.com