Boston Scientific ($BSX) has bought a whopping 15 companies over the past 5 years--most recently Vessix Vascular for $425 million. As the device giant leans on M&A to crawl its way out of a continuing revenue slump, what can we expect to see over the next few quarters?
The Motley Fool takes a look at where Boston Sci stands and where it hopes to get with all these acquisitions and new devices. The devicemaker pulls about 50% of its revenue from its interventional cardiology and cardiac rhythm management units, two business that have posted declining sales in every quarter this year, the site points out. Some of that can be blamed on across-the-board trends--most device outfits have struggled to keep CRM pacing this year--but Boston Sci has also been losing market share to competitors quicker to release next-gen technologies.
But the company's cardiac businesses are not without hope, The Motley Fool reports. The recent FDA approval of the S-ICD, a subcutaneous defibrillator, gives Boston Sci a potential blockbuster product once it's commercialized, and the devicemaker last week unveiled study results touting improved survival rates for patients who use its CRM devices.
Newly minted CEO Mike Mahoney has been bullish in his vision of Boston Sci's future, predicting the company will report revenue growth by next year, something it hasn't done in any of 2012's quarters. While analysts have thus far balked at his optimism, he certainly hasn't wasted any time, pulling the trigger on Vessix in his first week.
While not all of those 15 acquisitions have been banner deals--$28 billion for Guidant comes to mind--the deal for Vessix gives Boston Sci a CE marked device in a space predicted to be worth billions over the next decade. As the Fool notes, the "turn-around story" Mahoney promises will hinge on Boston Sci getting the most out of its acquisitions and continuing to introduce innovative products that jibe with customer demand. Whether the company executes, of course, remains to be seen.
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