Stryker Corp. reported Jan. 27 that per-share earnings for the fourth quarter of 2020 reached $2.81, but organic sales fell roughly 1%, largely an artifact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s acquisition of Wright Medical Group NV, of Amsterdam, is part of a source of optimism for the company, however, as is the fact that the company’s sales in emerging markets continue to buoy Stryker’s outlook for 2021.
The latest global regulatory news, changes and updates affecting medical devices and technologies, including: EPA posts ethylene oxide rule on OMB agenda; HHS announces sustained support for testing; FTC gives nod to Stryker/Wright deal.
Despite a drop off in elective procedures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stryker Corp., of Kalamazoo, Mich., unveiled first-quarter results that came in better than analysts had presumed. BTIG’s Ryan Zimmerman noted that, unlike other companies, Stryker did not pre-announce preliminary revenue. And while investors were concerned that the company would be adversely affected by the slump in elective procedures, "the diversity of the portfolio helped to offset procedure declines in late March.”
Stryker Corp., of Kalamazoo, Mich., saw strength in the fourth quarter, with Mako experiencing good uptake in total knee arthroplasty. Katherine Owen, Stryker’s vice president of strategy & investor relations, said Mako demand was driven by the benefits of its robotic technology, multiple applications and the ability to do cementless knee.
Stryker Corp. is making another big buy, this time picking up Wright Medical Group NV, of Amsterdam, for a total enterprise value of about $5.4 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2020, and its value exceeds Stryker's previous large deal – that of Leesburg, Va.-based K2m Group Holdings Inc. in 2018 for $1.4 billion.