Bard still has appeal after recent jump

Article Excerpt

C.R. BARD INC. $220 (New York symbol BCR; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 73.5 million; Market cap: $16.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.5; Dividend yield: 0.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.crbard.com) makes over 15,000 medical devices in four main areas: vascular products such as stents and catheters (28% of sales); oncology products that detect and treat various types of cancer (27%); urology goods such as drainage and incontinence devices (25%); and surgical tools (17%). Other products supply the remaining 3%. Generally, the company’s products are single-use items, so customers must continually buy new ones. As well, Bard’s wide array of products cuts its risk. Two-pronged growth plan paid off The company’s sales rose 17.9%, from $2.9 billion in 2011 to $3.4 billion in 2015. Those gains were mainly due to its long-term growth strategy; it involves selling slower-growing businesses and buying other medical device makers. Among Bard’s acquisitions is its $298.0 million purchase of Lutonix in 2011. That firm has developed a..