Is Becton, Dickinson Stock a Buy?
Becton, Dickinson (NYSE: BDX) has operations in over 50 countries and sells a variety of different medical instruments and supplies. There's no question it can provide a lot of diversification for investors and be a great way to take a position in the healthcare industry as the Fortune 200 company has a market cap of $74 billion and can offer a lot of long-term stability. But for investors who want more than just stability, Becton may not be a slam-dunk buy.
In November, the company released its year-end financials for fiscal 2019. Total revenue for the year of $17.3 billion grew by 8.2% from the $16 billion that it generated in the prior year. However, on a currency-neutral basis, Becton's top line rose by a more modest 5.1%. For fiscal 2020, management is expecting similar growth, with currency-neutral revenue projected to rise between 5% and 5.5%.
The company's reported sales from its U.S. operations totaled $9.7 billion. That was an 11% improvement from 2018's total of $8.8 billion, but foreign exchange bumped those numbers up. On a currency-neutral level, its growth was just 4.5%. Internationally, the growth was slightly stronger when taking out the impact of foreign currency, with sales up by 5.9% from the prior year. China is one area that has been very strong for the company, where currency-neutral sales were up more than 11% for the full year, generating $1.2 billion in revenue.
Source Fool.com
