New products will fuel post-Covid growth

Article Excerpt

Becton Dickinson’s shares are down 6% in the past year, mainly due to falling demand for its COVID-19 testing kits as the pandemic eases. However, the company continues to launch new products, which should fuel its growth for many years to come. BECTON DICKINSON & CO. $243 is a buy. The company (New York symbol BDX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 283.9 million; Market cap: $69.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bd.com) makes a variety of medical devices, including stents, catheters, needles, incontinence devices and surgical tools. Becton often uses acquisitions to enhance its expertise. For example, it paid $25 billion for medical device maker C.R. Bard in February 2018. More recently, it purchased Parata Systems, a maker of robotic equipment for pharmacies and hospitals, for $1.55 billion. Thanks to those new businesses, Becton’s overall revenue rose 8.2%, from $15.98 billion in 2018 to $17.29 billion in 2019 (fiscal years end September 30). Revenue then fell…