New testing system looks promising

Article Excerpt

BECTON DICKINSON & CO. $258 is a buy. The company (New York symbol BDX; Conservative Growth Portfolio; Manufacturing sector; Shares outstanding: 290.0 million; Market cap: $74.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.1; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.bd.com) 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. The company has received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its BD Veritor Plus System. It screens for the COVID-19 virus in asymptomatic individuals. Demand for this device should be strong, as it will let businesses, schools and sports leagues quickly identify and isolate individuals with the virus even though they show no symptoms. Becton Dickinson is a buy. buy. …