As 2009 came to a close, it was evident that not much could hold back an industry with an entrepreneurial spirit and a mission to help save lives. The industry made some adjustments, and the outlook is looking more upbeat for 2010.
An Emergo Group survey, for example, found that the industry is feeling a bit more optimistic about the year ahead. Chris Schorre, Emergo’s global marketing director, points to generally improved economic news and stable markets (for details, see the news story on p. 16). Shares of St. Jude Medical Inc., Stryker Corp., and Zimmer Holdings, for example, all rose in the last few weeks of December. These increases were due mostly to analysts’ reactions to the healthcare reform bill, which dropped provisions for a government option (a provision that investors feared would hurt profits).
Also, analysts at New York investment firm Leerink Swann have predicted a rise in the medical device sector in the coming year. The firm has released a 12-page outlook for 2010, which says that earnings in the sector will improve and that investors will begin to focus on the medical device industry.
DeviceLink.com… http://ow.ly/UCJ3