Here are stork report updates for five key orthopedic and sine device companies.
1. Smith & Nephew stock received an "outperform" rating reissue from Sanford C. Bernstein, with price objectives suggesting a potential upside of 11.71 percent from the stocks' previous close, according to a Ticker Report analysis. Credit Suisse analysts reiterated their "neutral" rating and Morgan Stanley downgraded shares to an "underweight" rating a few days earlier. This news comes on the heels of the wait period lifting on Stryker's promise not to acquire the company, allow Stryker to come back to the table.
2. Stryker received a new research report from Zacks on Nov. 28. The rating agency expects Stryker to grow "by virtue of its strong and diversified product portfolio, innovative pipeline, strategic acquisitions [and] ongoing cost-control measures and improving operational efficiency." The report also notes future acquisitions could add risk and negatively impact the company's balance sheet. The company also faces stiff competition from the industry, especially as Medtronic's mega-merger with Covidien took another step toward approval with the FTC and European Union giving their blessings. Stryker currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 — hold.
3. NuVasive COO Keith Valentine sold 5,582 shares of the company's stock on Nov. 19, according to a Sleek Monkey report. The stock sold at $43.32 per share on average, with the total transaction value at $241,812. Wells Fargo recently updated their rating for NuVasive from "market perform" to "outperform" and Barclays separately updated the stock rating to "equal weight."
4. Zimmer Holdings stock hit a 52-week high on Nov. 28, where stock traded as high as $113 per share. The stock previously closed at $111.63. The most recent ratings are from the end of October, when Zacks reiterated a "neutral" rating and JPMorgan Chase & Co., separately reiterated the same rating. The company has a $19 million market cap, according to a WKRB News & Analysis report.
5. LDR is scheduled to ring the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell on Tuesday, Dec. 2. However, the company's stock fell 6.9 percent on Nov. 21, according to a Zacks report. Zacks at the time had a Rank #3 (hold) on company stock. "Although the slump was obviously disappointing, the medical instruments company has seen one positive revision and its current year earnings consensus has moved higher over the past few weeks. This suggests that the recent slump might be a temporary blip on the radar for LDRH," according to the report.