Wealthy individual investors are bullish on healthcare stocks, but professional investment managers are split on whether the local sharemarket alone has sufficient diversity for those seeking portfolio exposure to the sector.

A survey of 400 sophisticated and wholesale investors by Citi in February found 46 per cent believe healthcare is the sector of the economy that shows “most promise” in the year ahead. The research was limited to sole or joint financial decision-makers with more than $2.5 million in net assets or annual income exceeding $250,000.