While the S&P 500 has notched nine consecutive quarterly gains, its best run since the late 1990s, there have been some big jumps and some inkling moves in that time. One sector has been outperforming pretty consistently, though; healthcare.

While the S&P 500 managed to climb just 0.4% in the fourth quarter, the S&P 500 Health Care Index jumped 6.2%, besting the broader index for three straight quarters. In all, health care has outperformed in 11 of the past 16 quarters, while gaining 233% since the March 2009 market low, compared to a 206% gain for the S&P 500 as a whole.

There are myriad reasons for that bifurcated performance, not the least of which are a couple of secular tailwinds for the sector.

For one thing, Americans are getting old. According to data from the Census Bureau, more than 10,000 Baby Boomers have been turning 65 every day since 2011, a trend expected to continue until 2030. In terms of health care consumption, 65 is something of a magic age where you start spending more time in doctor’s offices. That’s understandable, as advances in medical technology have made aging gracefully easier.

There’s also the issue of expanded access to healthcare. Love it or hate it, there are an estimated 20 million newly insured patients due to Obamacare. That nearly overnight market expansion is a major reason why health care profits are expected by more than 10% year-over-year in the first quarter and more than 10% for the full-year. Hospital operators will likely see profit growth of at least 8% this year thanks to fewer uninsured patients leaving unpaid bills, while biotechs should see growth of nearly 20% thanks to the introduction of new drugs and devices.

We here at Investing Daily have been covering healthcare for years and they’re among some of our top performers.

Over at Personal Finance, we have Baxter International in our Growth Portfolio and AbbVie in our Income Portfolio.

Baxter produces a wide arrange of treatments for all sorts of diseases, ranging from kidney disease and hemophilia to immune disorders and diabetes. While Baxter’s (NYSE: BAX) sales slowed in the first quarter to 4%, with earnings per share of $1, because of currency headwinds, the majority of the company’s sales come from products which are at the top of their markets.

The biopharmaceutical company has been spending more than $1 billion on research and development annually, stretching back to 2012. That commitment to innovation coupled with an acquisitive nature has been the driving force behind its market-leading position. Adding a good dose of improving efficiencies to the mix and you have average 10-year revenue growth of 5.8% while EPS growth has averaged better than 21%.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) has one of the bestselling biologic drugs on the market, Humira. Biologics are genetically engineered proteins, derived from human genes, which slow down specific parts of the immune system. In the case of Humira, it is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis and is seen as a best-in-class treatment for the diseases.

While much of the cash flow from that blockbuster drug has supported a solid 3% dividend and share buybacks, it has also funded a slew of drug development research. Several new drugs are slated to be launched this year alone, with just one of those drugs – a treatment for hepatitis C – expected to eventually turn in sales of more than $3 billion a year.

If you prefer more international flair, over at Roadrunner Stocks our small-cap analyst Jim Fink follows China Biologic Products.

Up nearly 50% since Jim added it to his portfolio in January, the company develops treatments for various diseases using components of human blood collected from centers around China. China Biologic (NSDQ: CBPO) recently got an indirect boost from the Chinese government, which cracked down on blood collection centers in the country which resulted in the closure of nearly a quarter of them. The move is intended to ensure the safety of China’s supply of donor blood and China Biologic is one of just a handful of firms which received approval to continue operating.

At the same time, demand for many of the company’s products are exploding as the Chinese medical system continues to modernize. Albumin is the main protein found in human blood and it is administered to patients who have experienced blood loss to prevent shock. Sales of that protein have more than doubled since 2009 with sales currently running at $1.3 billion annually, and is expected to grow by another 25% over the next few years. Albumin also happens to be China Biologic’s top seller.

With healthcare consumption expanding rapidly both at home and abroad, these are just a few examples of sector stocks you’ll find spread throughout our portfolios.