Medical device makers still look solid

Article Excerpt

While COVID-19 has hurt demand for Baxter and Becton’s medical devices, we expect their sales will quickly rebound in the next few months. BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $78 is a buy. The company (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 508.8 million; Market cap: $39.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.5; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.baxter.com) makes a variety of medical devices, including intravenous pumps and kidney-dialysis equipment. The U.S. accounts for about 40% of its revenue. In the quarter ended June 30, 2020, revenue fell 4.1%, to $2.72 billion from $2.83 billion a year earlier. COVID-19 prompted people to postpone all-but-the-most-severe doctor visits and defer elective surgeries. That offset better demand for products that help treat patients with the virus. Baxter’s overall earnings dropped 24.5% in the latest quarter, to $329.0 million from $436 million. Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share declined 23.8%, to $0.64 from $0.84. In addition to the lower revenue, COVID-19 slowed production at the…