interested in the stock for future.

Health care may be hated, thanks to President Obama’s overhaul plans, but Express Scripts is not. Wall Street seems to favor this cost cutter, which accounts for the stock’s 17% gain year-to-date.

Mad About Options: Express Scripts Flashback: The Mad About Options crew takes a look back at Jim Cramer's comments about Express Scripts.
Click here to watch the video.

It didn't help that Express Scripts (ESRX) sees some weakness, as people might even be cutting back on taking drugs! Nasty.

Great healthcare stock

From a recent Mad Money show: "I like it. You've got a good one and I'd be a buyer in a slow economy."

A PBM manages prescription-drug benefits for health insurers and employers, negotiating prices with pharmacy networks and drug makers. Unlike Medco (MHS) or CVS (CVS), which target large companies, Express Scripts focuses more on medium-sized companies. "That market has been somewhat less competitive, because you have one primary player rather than two," says Willey of Franklin Templeton. Express Scripts' shares fetch about 14 times their consensus '09 profit estimate of $3.68 a share, compared with a median forward multiple of about 20 times. With the stock market tumbling to five-year lows, Express Scripts, along with Baxter, Bard and Teva, could provide some needed relief to investors' portfolios.

But there also could be some winners in health care. Cliggott thinks generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA) could benefit from any assault on drug pricing. And the CEO of managed-care company Humana (HUM), Michael McAllister, has said that his company can benefit by bringing technology systems and other efficiencies to the insurance market. Medco Health Solutions (MHS) and Express Scripts (ESRX) also could benefit, as each offers pharmacy-benefits services.

PE of 28, and it pays a yield of 1.35.

Pharmacy-benefits manager Express Scripts Inc. recently announced its board authorized the repurchase of 15 million additional shares under its current buyback plan, boosting the total to 135 million.

The company also raised its guidance for the full year after reporting a 25 percent jump in second-quarter profit last week.

The stock trades for a 19x forward PE.