Less risky than it looks

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $48 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 584.4 million; Market cap: $28.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 2.4%; WSSF Rating: Average) gets over half of its revenue from medical products that can only be… Read More

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $55 – New York symbol BAX

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $55 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 602.7 million; Market cap: $33.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.7; WSSF Rating: Average) makes medical equipment through three main divisions. BioScience (43% of 2008 sales), makes vaccines and drugs;… Read More

Medical-device makers: 3 buys & 1 hold

Medical-device sales have suffered lately, partly because of the recession. As well, proposed reforms to the U.S. health-care system could limit or cut the amount that hospitals and clinics can recoup from insurance companies. This could leave them with less to spend on medical devices.

However,… Read More