Topic: How To Invest

Pat: I’m looking at medical device manufacturer Smith & Nephew. What’s your view on this company? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

Smith & Nephew plc, $39.31 symbol SNN on New York (ADRs outstanding: 176.8 million; Market cap: $7.0 billion), is a U.K.-based medical-device maker. Smith & Nephew’s orthopedic division makes hip, knee and shoulder replacements, and provides about 60% of the company’s revenue. The endoscopy unit, which accounts for 20% of Smith & Nephew’s revenue, focuses on products and tools that let surgeons treat joint and soft-tissue injuries in a non-invasive manner. The company’s advanced wound management division, which supplies the remaining 20% of its revenue, makes bandages and related products for skin wounds. Smith & Nephew sells its products in 32 countries. It gets 45% of its revenue from the U.S., which is its biggest market. In the three months ended June 27, 2009, revenue fell 7.4%, to $926 million from $1 billion a year earlier. However, the drop was mainly caused by the higher U.S. dollar, which hurts the value of its overseas sales. Without this, revenue would have risen…