CR Bard (BCR) Hits a 52-Week High: What's Driving the Stock?

Shares of CR Bard BCR, also known as Bard, rallied to a new 52-week high of $309.16 on May 12, eventually closing a tad bit lower at $307.71. This represents a strong one-year return of about 38.6%, much better than the S&P 500’s return of 14.7%.

Bard has had an impressive run on the bourse on a year-to-date basis as well. The company gained roughly 36.9%, higher than the Zacks categorized Medical - Dental Supplies sub-industry’s addition of just 11.9%. The stock has a market cap of 22.28 billion and a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 10.40%. Currently, Bard carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Let us take a look at the key catalysts driving the stock’s performance.

Rising Estimate Revision Trend

Estimate revisions for Bard have been favorable. The year has seen eight estimates move north over the last two months, compared to no movement in the opposite direction. As a result, full-year estimates increased 1.3% to $11.78 over the same time frame.

C.R. Bard, Inc. Price and Consensus

 

C.R. Bard, Inc. Price and Consensus | C.R. Bard, Inc. Quote

Solid Q1 Results

Bard recently reported an impressive first quarter of 2017, with extraordinary performance in international markets, extensive investment in product development and a diversified product portfolio. Notably, the company reported adjusted earnings of $2.87 in the quarter, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.65. Adjusted earnings also improved 22.6% on year-over-year basis.

FY17 Guidance Raised

Bard’s positive guidance is a strong positive in our view. For full-year 2017, adjusted earnings per share (after adjusting for amortization of intangibles) are projected between $11.65 and $11.90, up from the previously provided band of $11.45 and $11.75. This represents growth in the range of 13% to 16%, up from 11% to 14% projected earlier.

Bard expects net sales growth of 5% to 6% on a reported basis, up from the previously provided guidance range of 4% to 5%. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange, net sales are likely to increase between 6% and 7% from the prior year.

For the second quarter of 2017, net sales are expected to improve in the range of 4% to 5% on a reported basis.

Bard Getting Acquired

Recently, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced that it will acquire Bard for $24 billion ($317 per C.R. Bard common share in cash and stock).

The agreement is expected to close by fall 2017. We believe the latest development will provide benefits of medication management and infection prevention to Bard customers and bolster its foothold in the global medical devices market, which is expected to reach a worth of $543.9 billion by 2020.

The acquisition will strengthen the international presence of both the companies. In fact, international sales of Bard increased 14% to $281.6 million in the last quarter. Without foreign exchange headwinds, first-quarter 2017 net sales outside the U.S. rose 17% on a year-over-year basis.

Key Picks

Better-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector are Luminex Corporation LMNX, Hologic, Inc. HOLX and Sunshine Heart Inc SSH. Notably, Hologic and Luminex sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Sunshine Heart carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Luminex has an expected long-term adjusted earnings growth of almost 16.3%. The stock added roughly 15.4% over the last three months.

Hologic has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 11.33%. The stock has a solid one-year return of roughly 25%.

Sunshine Heart recorded a stellar EPS growth rate of almost 22% (last 3–5 years of actual earnings).

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