In markets right now, everyone is talking about AI stocks and their potential for explosive growth. Yet there’s another, broader trend we see that remains under-the-radar, and one that may represent a massive opportunity for investors: investing in longevity and aging-population stocks.
- The Big Idea: Extending Human Life
Discussions about longevity aren’t new. For years, researchers and entrepreneurs, including the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, have been fascinated by how technology and science could push human life expectancy far beyond today’s limits. Some forecasts even suggest people in current and future generations could live to 120–150 years.
Longevity has three main drivers:
- Lifestyle (diet, exercise, avoiding excess alcohol/smoking)
- Supplements & treatments (a ~$485 billion global market)
- Advanced biotech & devices (from telomere therapies to brain–computer interfaces)
For investors, the question is: where does the money flow, and which companies are best positioned to capture it?
- Supplements: A Fragmented Market
At first glance, supplement makers look attractive.
Companies with exposure to longevity products include:
- Jamieson Wellness (JWEL:xtse)
- Usana (USNA:xnys)
- Herbalife (HLF:xnys)
- Church & Dwight (CHD:xnys)
But digging deeper:
- Many are too small in scale.
- Some, like Herbalife, face pyramid-scheme reputational risks.
- Even larger players such as Nestlé (NESN:xvtx) derive only a small percentage of revenue directly from longevity products.
Bottom line: supplements are a huge industry, but they do not yet offer clear, pure-play opportunities.
- A Game-Changer? Metformin
Where our research gets more interesting is in pharmaceuticals, specifically metformin, a decades-old diabetes drug now being studied for potential life-extending properties.
Metformin may:
- Improve insulin sensitivity and reduce metabolic stress.
- Activate longevity-linked enzymes (AMPK).
- Help reduce cancer proliferation and lower risks of common age-related diseases (heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s).
- Scale cheaply and safely (in use since the 1950s; off-patent).
The implications are huge. Adding just one extra year of global life expectancy is estimated to unlock $38 trillion in economic value. If clinical trials confirm metformin’s role in healthy ageing, demand could surge globally.
- Who Benefits? The Companies Behind It
Unlike supplements, here we find investable names:
- Merck KGaA (MRCG:xetr): German company reporting about €1bn in annual revenues from metformin.
- Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA:xnys): Israel-based, NASDAQ-listed; about in $17bn turnover, a solid turnaround, strong EPS growth expectations, and meaningful metformin production.
- Sanofi (SAN:xpar): French/Swiss global heavyweight producing metformin (no detailed revenue disclosure).
These are established pharmaceutical giants with the scale and balance-sheet strength to supply a global boom in longevity treatments if approvals come through.
- Aging Populations: The Demographic Tailwind
One of the most important long-term forces behind the longevity theme is the aging of the global population. This is not a temporary trend but a structural shift that will reshape economies, healthcare systems, and consumer markets over the coming decades.
According to the United Nations, the share of the world’s population over 65 will rise from 10% in 2022 to about 16% by 2050, that’s one in six people, up from one in eleven in 2019.
The shift is even more dramatic in certain regions:
- Europe and Japan already have some of the oldest populations, with median ages above 44.
- China is aging rapidly; by 2035 it will have more retirees than the entire population of the European Union.
- The United States will see its 65+ population nearly double, from 55 million (2020) to over 95 million (2060).
Why this matters: older populations consume differently. Healthcare, pharmaceuticals, assisted living, wealth management, and even travel and leisure for older consumers are likely to see steady demand growth. From an investment perspective, this creates a structural tailwind that makes longevity more than a biotech story, it’s a broad-based economic transformation.
A 2020 McKinsey study estimated that improving health outcomes for older populations could unlock $12 trillion in economic value globally by 2040. Combined with the estimate that each additional year of life expectancy could add $38 trillion to global GDP, the case for longevity as a megatrend becomes clear.
- How Can Investors Access Longevity and Aging Demographics?
Beyond direct exposure to the companies above (which could profit most directly from pharmaceuticals), other firms will indirectly benefit from longer lifespans (e.g. banks and insurers), the broader “longevity economy.”
There are also equity indices tracking companies poised to benefit from aging populations:
- ECPI Global Longevity Winners Equity NTR (GALPHLWN): A thematic benchmark offering exposure to developed-market companies positioned to benefit from rising life expectancy, across insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, consumer staples, real estate, and select technology/industrial names.
- STOXX Global Ageing Population Index (IXAGPOPU): Focuses on companies deriving over 50% of revenues from businesses aligned with the ageing trend, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and other financial services.
Longevity and Aging Population Indices Versus the S&P500
Since 2019, both indices have delivered solid returns and have been broadly correlated with the S&P 500; however, they have underperformed the S&P 500 overall. Investors can review each index’s constituents to identify individual stocks associated with the longevity economy and invest in them directly.
- ETFs: How to Access These Themes
For investors who want diversified exposure without picking single names, there are thematic ETFs focused on longevity and aging demographics:
- CI Global Longevity Economy ETF (LONG:xnas): One of the first ETFs explicitly built around the “longevity economy.” It invests in companies benefiting from aging demographics, though liquidity is currently limited.
- Global X Aging Population ETF (AGNG:xnas): Exposure to healthcare, biotech, pharma, and senior living, primarily U.S. listed stocks; to date has drawn more institutional than retail interest.
- iShares Ageing Population UCITS ETF (AGED:xlon): UCITS-compliant and accessible for European investors; holds insurers, pharma companies, and healthcare equipment makers across developed markets.
For European investors, the lack of a highly liquid, dedicated UCITS ETF specifically targeting longevity remains a limitation. That said, this is likely to change as demand grows. Until then, investors can:
- Track the holdings of longevity ETFs and indices to source individual stocks.
- Combine longevity exposure with broader healthcare or biotech ETFs (often holding firms like Merck, Sanofi, Novo Nordisk).
- Consider diversified megatrend ETFs, where longevity sits alongside AI, renewable energy, and digitalization.
- Why This Matters for Investors
The combination of aging populations, medical innovation, and large economic stakes makes longevity one of the most compelling megatrends of the 21st century. Unlike short-term themes, demographics are highly predictable, we already know, with high confidence, what age structures will look like 10, 20, or 30 years from now. That gives longevity a built-in demand driver that doesn’t depend on the cycle.
For portfolio construction, longevity exposure offers two key benefits:
- Defensiveness: Healthcare and senior services are typically less sensitive to downturns.
- Growth potential: If breakthroughs like metformin or telomere therapies are validated, upside could be substantial, similar to the rapid rise in weight-loss drugs in recent years.
In short, longevity is not just about living longer, it’s about reshaping economies, industries, and ultimately investment returns.
- Investment Takeaways
As an investor, you have three options:
- Ignore longevity until the science is conclusive.
- Watchlist companies like Merck, Teva, and Sanofi and follow trial results closely.
- Position early, accepting the risk but with potential to benefit from a future breakout product.
Given the parallels with weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, where demand exploded almost overnight, it’s not hard to imagine a similar trajectory if metformin (or another drug) gains official longevity approval.
- Final Word on Investing in Longevity Stocks
Research often runs into dead ends: small-cap constraints, reputational risks, and a lack of pure plays. But sometimes, a well-established medicine with new applications re-emerges as a genuine investment theme. Longevity could be one of the most powerful drivers of economic and market growth in the decades ahead.
For now, keep an eye on Merck, Teva, and Sanofi. Longevity may not just add years to life, but potentially add growth to your portfolio. If you would like to exchange ideas on this matter, please contact me at kaspar@hugoinvesting.com.
The information in this article should not be interpreted as individual investment advice. Although Hugo compiles and maintains these pages from reliable sources, Hugo cannot guarantee that the information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Any information used from this article without prior verification or advice, is at your own risk. We advise that you only invest in products that fit your knowledge and experience and do not invest in financial instruments where you do not understand the risks.
