Obamacare survivors with gains ahead

Article Excerpt

The new U.S. health care law will force Baxter and C.R. Bard to pay a 2.3% tax on certain medical devices it sells in the country. However, the law will also expand health insurance to more Americans, which should spur demand for both companies’ products. Both are also increasing their overseas sales. BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC. $71 (New York symbol BAX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 542.0 million; Market cap: $38.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.8; Dividend yield: 2.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.baxter.com) makes medical products, such as intravenous pumps and kidney dialysis equipment. It also produces vaccines and drugs. The company has agreed to pay $4.0 billion for Gambro AB, a privately held Swedish company that makes dialysis products. It should complete the purchase in the next few weeks. If you exclude acquisition- related costs and other unusual items, Baxter would have earned $581 million in the quarter ended March 31, 2013. That’s up 2.1% from $569…