Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, June 7, 2024

Article Excerpt

BECTON DICKINSON & CO., $240.63, New York symbol BDX, is a buy. The company operates through three segments: Medical makes an array of devices for hospitals, doctors’ offices and other clients in health care; Life Sciences sells products for collecting and shipping specimens as well as equipment for detecting diseases; and Interventional makes stents, catheters, needles, incontinence devices and surgical tools. This week, Becton agreed to acquire the Critical Care product group of Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (New York symbol EW). This business makes equipment to monitor the vital signs of patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. The company will pay $4.2 billion for this business. That’s equal to 6% of its $69.5 billion market cap (the total value of all shares outstanding). The company expects to complete the transaction by the end of 2024. Becton will fund this purchase with $1 billion in cash and $3.2 billion in new loans. The company can comfortably afford to take on new debt—as of March…