Edwards is poised to lift your gains

Article Excerpt

Medical products maker Edwards Lifesciences was originally a unit of Baxter International Inc. (New York symbol BAX) until that firm spun off Edwards as a separate company in March 2000. Edwards now plans a spinoff of its own, setting up its Critical Care business, which makes patient monitoring equipment, as a separate firm. The parent company will then focus on more-profitable products, such as replacement heart valves and catheters. The stock has gained 8% since the company announced the spin-off in early December 2023. We feel Edwards can go even higher in the next few years, particularly as the aging population spurs demand for its products. EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORP. $74 is a spinoff buy. The company (New York symbol EW; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 606.5 million; Market cap: $44.9 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.edwards.com) has four segments: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (65% of sales), Surgical Structural Heart (17%), Critical Care (15%), and Transcatheter Mitral and Tricuspid (3%). Edwards is a leader in…