GLP-1 weight loss drugs are creating opportunities for these 2 stocks, investment advisor says

Published Tue, Oct 17 20237:59 PM EDTUpdated Tue, Nov 7 20231:58 AM EST

GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) drugs, originally developed as a treatment for diabetes, are shaking up some sectors. Developments surrounding the drugs, also popularly used for weight loss, have been disrupting anything from owners of dialysis centers to bariatric surgery providers and the food industry. But one investment advisor, Brian Krawez, president of Scharf Investments, says there are opportunities. "Many investors are concerned about the impacts of the GLP-1 drugs on a host of companies ranging from restaurants to consumer staples. We think this has created opportunities in a variety of names," he told CNBC. Last week, shares of kidney dialysis providers fell sharply Wednesday after Novo Nordisk said a study showed its Ozempic drug could delay the onset of kidney disease in diabetes patients. Such drugs are also affecting dietary habits: Walmart said last week it is seeing a "slight change" in the way people shop for food , which may be due in part to customers buying less while using appetite-suppressing medications like diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Wegovy. GLP-1 is a hormone released in the gut that stimulates insulin secretion, slows the emptying of the stomach and communicates to the brain a feeling of satisfaction. Those mechanisms are the ones that help patients taking the drugs to lose weight and regulate their diabetes. Krawez said the selloff in one consumer staple stock is "unwarranted": Unilever . Its shares have been down 12% since the end of July on GLP-1 fears, he noted on Tuesday. "We think it's not that exposed — 6% of its sales are U.S. food, and so we just think it's kind of a big throw in the bathwater," he told CNBC's " Street Signs Asia " on Tuesday. Krawez added the stock is also trading at a 25% discount to its peers, and is cheaper now than in the history of its trading. With that discount, he said, Unilever isn't getting credit for its top- and bottom-line growth potential. "We think the selloff has been unwarranted and creates a buying opportunity," he said. Krawez also named McKesson — the largest distributor of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in the U.S. — which he said is under investors' radar. "They're a dominant player in drug distribution. They got roughly 35% market share, but a lot of people don't know the company," he said, adding that specialty pharmaceuticals — including the GLP-1 drugs —account for roughly 35% of the company's earnings. It's also growing faster than its traditional prescription drug business, he said. "We see them having faster growth than the S & P, and yet, is trading at a discount to the S & P," Krawez said. — CNBC's Christina Cheddar Berk and Julie Coleman contributed to this report.