Yahoo Finance IDEXX Laboratories Strong on CAG Business Amid Currency Woes
On Feb 5, we issued an updated research report on IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. IDXX. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
This leading molecular diagnostic company has been trading above the broader industry. The stock has gained 20.2% in the past three months compared with 9.9% of the broader industry.
IDEXX exited the fourth quarter on a solid note. Moreover, strong year-over year growth in organic revenues and a raised guidance for 2018 earnings per share are encouraging.
The stellar performance was driven by strong sales at the CAG business. In the fourth quarter, CAG organic revenues rose low double digits on strong CAG Diagnostics recurring organic revenue growth and VetLab consumables organic revenue growth. We are upbeat about the company’s expanding premium instrument base in the United States and international markets, including growth in competitive instrument placements, increasing utilization and continued customer retention.
The companion animal market fundamentals remain solid with tremendous global runway for growth. Management’s innovation-based, multi-modality global strategy, accelerated recurring CAG Diagnostics revenue growth in the reported quarter. Moreover, strong top-line growth in the quarter was driven by considerable contributions from the rest of the business segments.
We are also upbeat about the company witnessing double-digit organic revenue growth in the international business. This reflected continued consumable revenue gains supported by Catalyst instrument base and average testing utilization.
Additionally, the company has a strong cash balance that allows it to carry out share repurchases.
Meanwhile, majority of IDEXX’s consolidated revenues have been derived from sale of products in the international markets in 2017. Thus, the strengthening of the rate of exchange for the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies had a negative impact on revenues derived in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and on profits from products manufactured in the United States and sold internationally. Also, the company’s high dependence on third-party distributors is a concern.
Other Key Picks
Other top-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector are PerkinElmer PKI, Bio-Rad Laboratories BIO and ResMed RMD.
Bio-Rad Laboratories has a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The company has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 25%.
PerkinElmer has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 12.3%. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2.
ResMed has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 13%. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #2.
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