A dog is for life, not just for lockdown – and so too are vet bills. Veterinary practices typically prove resilient during economic downturns, therefore, in spite of their high fees, and the pandemic pet boom should further stoke demand.
Tip style
Growth
Risk rating
Medium
Timescale
Medium Term
Bull points
- Pet boom growth continues
- Debt pile down
- Historically cheap shares
- Long-term demand
Bear points
- Vet shortage
- Competition concerns
Anyone who has visited their local vets will have noted a distinct lack of corporate glamour. Few other companies have hair and worming powder lying around their offices. However, since regulations were relaxed in 1999 to allow non-vets to own practices, investors have rushed to cash in on the then-cottage industry, and over half of the UK veterinary market is now controlled by six corporate giants.