Acquisition expands global reach

Article Excerpt

BECKMAN COULTER INC. $53 (New York symbol BEC; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 63.4 million; Market cap: $3.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; WSSF Rating: Average) makes lab equipment that doctors and medical researchers use to detect substances in blood and other bodily fluids. These systems are designed to simplify and speed up complex tests. Beckman has installed more than 200,000 systems in over 130 countries. Hospitals and clinics account for about 85% of Beckman’s revenue. It gets the remaining 15% from universities and medical research labs. Supplies and services cut its risk Every time Beckman sells a system, it gets another customer for its supplies and maintenance services. Sales of supplies now account for roughly 80% of the company’s revenue, which cuts its risk. Moreover, Beckman sells its systems under long-term leases, which gives it predictable revenue streams. It hangs on to customers for an average of over 15 years, mainly because changing suppliers can be costly for its customers,…