Pulse Check: What’s next for Canadian Tech, Health and U.S. MedTech? – Kosta Kringas and Vishal Chopra

In this episode of FidelityConnects, Patrick Farkas hosts equity research associate Vishal Chopra and equity research analyst Kosta Kringas to explore the evolving landscape of Canadian tech, healthcare, and U.S. medtech in 2026. The discussion centers on how AI is reshaping both software and hardware sectors, with healthcare emerging as a resilient beneficiary due to aging populations and innovation in weight-loss drugs like GLP-1s. While software faces margin pressures and investor skepticism, AI is driving efficiency in sales, marketing, and finance operations, creating new opportunities. The analysts highlight momentum in medical device product cycles—such as Intuitive Surgical’s Da Vinci robot—and the long-term potential of AI-enhanced robotic surgery and digital therapeutics. Geopolitical tensions and tariffs are prompting supply chain reshoring, particularly in healthcare manufacturing, while traditional AI remains underappreciated despite its practical advancements. The episode concludes with a strong emphasis on Fidelity’s collaborative culture, where analysts leverage global insights to identify winners in volatile markets. Key takeaways include: AI is driving real productivity gains beyond coding, especially in finance and sales; weight-loss drugs are transforming healthcare with both winners (pharma) and losers (bariatric surgery); healthcare remains a defensive sector with strong tailwinds; traditional AI is underappreciated but highly impactful; and supply chains are shifting back to North America due to tariffs and geopolitical risk. The team’s collaborative approach enables timely, data-driven investment decisions amid market volatility.