It’s recession-proof, it’s vital to our very survival and it’s not going away any time soon. The biotechnology and health care industries are growing at incredible rates, and some of the top companies in this sector are seeing returns of well over 70% over the past year.

With the health care industry expected to grow by an average of 5.8% per year through 2020, investors would be foolish to miss out on sch gargantuan opportunities.

I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. And this week, five biotech and healthcare stocks to buy.

Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets an “A” or “B” according to my research, meaning it is a “strong buy” or “buy.”

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALXN) discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutic products for life-threatening diseases. ALXN has posted a significant gain of 75% in the last year. ALXN stock gets an “A” for sales growth, an “A” for earnings growth, an “A” for earnings momentum, an “A” for its ability to exceed the consensus earnings estimates on Wall Street and a “B” for return on equity in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of ALXN stock.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) is involved with medication for grievous illnesses. In the last year, AMGN stock is up 29%, compared to just 5% for the Dow. AMGN stock gets a “B” for its ability to exceed the consensus earnings estimates on Wall Street, a “B” for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past month, a “B” for cash flow and a “B” for return on equity in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of AMGN stock.

Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG) develops products for hematology, oncology and immune-inflammatory diseases. CELG is up almost 30% in the last 12 months. CELG stock gets an “A” for sales growth, a “B” for earnings growth, an “A” for earnings momentum, a “B” for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past month, a “B” for cash flow and an “A” for return on equity in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of CELG stock.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN) is best known for its product ARCALYST, which is used to treat Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), which includes Familial Cold Auto-inflammatory Syndrome (FCAS) and Muckle-Wells Syndrome (MWS). REGN is the biggest winner on this list, posting a gain of nearly 140% in the last year. REGN gets  an “A” for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past month in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of REGN stock. For more information, view my complete analysis of REGN stock.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) offers a wide variety of products including, Truvada, Atripla, Viread and Emtriva, among others. In the past year, GILD has climbed 24%, compared to smaller gains by the broader markets. GILD stock gets a “B” for earnings momentum, an “A” for cash flow and an “A” for return on equity in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of GILD stock.

Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly traded stocks with Louis Navellier’s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.