One Health-Care Fund That's on the Mend

Every time then-President Bush talked about ethanol back in 2005, fashionable stocks like Pacific Ethanol (PEIX), Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings (AVR) and VeraSun Energy would gap higher. Despite the fact that corn-based ethanol was inefficient and not economical, it thrived for a while on the basis of subsidies and political largess. The more Bush plugged ethanol, the higher the stocks zoomed. Then the reality of corn-based ethanol set in. Now most of the companies have either filed for bankruptcy or come darn close.

In similar fashion, it is quite possible that the government’s efforts to “fix” health care might, at least for a while, actually benefit many of the more dominant companies as contracts and businesses are doled out to established players. Catching my eye and nipping up against overhead resistance near $20 a share is PowerShares Dynamic Healthcare Sector Portfolio (PTH), an ETF featuring holdings such as Hospira (HSP), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) and Becton Dickinson (BDX). Unlike many existing health-care ETFs, which tend to be top-heavy in names like Merck (MRK) and Pfizer (PFE), PTH holds an unusually large amount — almost 45% — of smaller companies.

PowerShares Dynamic Healthcare Sector Portfolio (PTH)—YTD

If the fix is anything like previous marketplace interventions, politically connected firms can expect a windfall of benefits for a period of time. This lightly-traded fund is a top choice for investor searching for health-care exposure in a sector whose future will be determined not in a laboratory, but on Capitol Hill.

A few months ago we highlighted ways in which private industry was creating value for consumers even as the economy cratered. Many more continue to do so, even those not benefiting from the government’s billion-dollar bailouts.

A truly remarkable program from a major retailer sets a new standard for corporate generosity. The Sears (SHLD) Buyers Protection Program covers any appliance valued more than $399 put on a Sears card before Aug. 1. If a customer loses their job, the company will credit one-twelfth the cost of the item to them every month they remain out of work. If the individual is still jobless a year after purchase, they get the remainder of the balance put on their account and get to keep the appliance for free.

Another offer comes from car maker Hyundai, whose new incentive program allows car buyers to lock in the price of gas at a set rate, now $1.49, for a year if they buy a car before September. Immediately saving buyers approximately $1 a gallon on gas, the company estimates it knocks $1,000 off the price of a car, far from chump change with most of its line selling for under $20,000 as it is.

The most defining characteristic about capitalism is that it is based on mutually beneficial trade. Profitable businesses succeed by offering a value, not demanding a sacrifice. Once again we see scores of companies dealing with economic adversity through innovation and wealth creation, for both their customers and themselves. A free dishwasher? $1,000 of gas? These are tangible values that mean a great deal, especially to a struggling family.

They’ve helped the companies as well: Hyundai’s earlier effort, the “Assurance Plan” that allows buyers to return their cars if they lose their job, has resulted in the company’s market share jumping from 2.9% to 4.2%.

How do Washington’s efforts compare? According to the to the Ethisphere TARP Index, first covered in this space last March, each taxpaying household has lost $1,233 on their “investment” in the government’s TARP program thus far.

A free dishwasher or a $1,233 bill for bailing out AIG (AIG) and Citigroup (C)? Which type of stimulus do you prefer?