The past quarter was certainly nice for health care stocks, from big pharma picks like Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to smaller biotechs like Dendreon (NASDAQ:DNDN).  According to Morningstar, the mutual funds in the health care sector posted an 8%+ return for investors.

Then again, the quarter saw lots of volatility and investors were looking for defensive plays.  And health care stocks fit the bill.

However, they are more than just a nice way to find security.  For the long haul, the prospects for health care stocks are promising.  Of course, a key factor is the aging of the populations in the U.S. and Europe.

But there are other important trends.  For example, the markets have had a chance to adjust for the changes from Obama-care.  What’s more, there are strong growth opportunities in emerging markets — like China, Brazil and India.

So what are some good stocks to consider?  Here’s a look:

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE):  While the company has a tremendous global footprint and powerful R&D capabilities, it has not been enough.  Thus, to boost growth and remain competitive, Pfizer was smart to strike transformative acquisitions, such as for Wyeth and King Pharmaceuticals. True, the company will see some major drugs come off patent (examples include Lipitor, Viagra and Xalatan).  Yet this has already been factored into the stock price.  Besides, the company has a dividend of 3.90%, which is attractive in today’s low-rate environment. Over the next few years, Pfizer should get a lift from some new drugs as well.  One potential blockbuster is Sutent, which is focused on cancer treatments.

Dendreon (NASDAQ:DNDN):  This biotech company has one drug on the market, which is Provenge.  It uses next-generation technologies to deal with prostate cancer.  The result is that the treatment is much quicker and has fewer side effects. And yes, Dendreon has various other drugs in its pipeline and the prospects certainly look bright. But investors need to be patient.  After all, it can be extremely tough to get FDA approval for novel applications.  Although with Provenge, Dendreon has shown that it has a strong platform and the necessary skills to get results.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARIA):  This biotech company generated net income of $85.2 million last year.  Much of this came from its license agreement with Merck (NYSE:MRK). Despite this, Ariad is likely to continue to incur losses.  Essentially, the company needs to spend huge amounts to develop its pipeline of biotechnology drugs. Ariad’s product candidates – which include ridaforolimus, ponatinib, and AP26113 — focus on some of the most aggressive types of cancers.  To this end, the company has much expertise in cell-signaling and cancer biology. And Wall Street is showing interest.  So far this year, the shares are up 122%.  But in light of the huge market opportunity – and the blockbuster potential of the drugs in the pipeline – the momentum is likely to continue.

YM BioSciences (NYSE:YMI):  This is a speculative biotech play, with a market cap of only $328 million.  As should be no surprise, the company is losing money. But YM BioSciences has a strong pipeline of late-stage drugs.  They include CYT387 (treats hematological disorders) as well as CYT997 (focused on multiple tumors). However, investors need to be cautious.  The shares can be extremely volatile.