Medtronic Inc (MDT)

(Market Call Minute.) Loves the health care in the US. He is playing this through C. R. Bard (BCR-N) and Zimmer (ZMH-N).

Used to be a dividend aristocrat in that it paid an increasing dividend every single year, for a long period of time. Good balance sheet, leveraged to the tool market in the medical space. Somewhat slower growth during the recession. They are acquiring Covidien (COV-N) and will re-base in Ireland giving them lower taxes. This will accelerate their growth. Longer-term, if you buy the story, you’ll be okay, but it is a multi-year story. A slow growth story.

On the cusp of a transformational acquisition, the $43 billion purchase of Covidian (COV-N). This changes their headquarters with a tax inversion deal, making Covidian a 30% owner of the new Medtronic. In order for a tax inversion to take place, you have to own at least 20%, so maybe the extra buffer of 30% will appease regulators, and keep everybody happy. This would allow them to have foreign profit, somewhere in the realm of about $14 billion, and be able to re-disperse them among their existing shareholders. A good line of sight for a growing dividend, further share buybacks, as well as future tuck in acquisitions. This deal would make them the biggest and most diversified medical devices company globally. Also, developing a series of new products. Yield of 1.97%.

Is this a good time to get into health care stocks and what would you recommend? Likes Abbott Labs (ABT-N) very much. Spun off their pharmaceutical R&D business about 2 years ago and split themselves up into 4 different divisions. If looking at global healthcare companies, you can’t go wrong with something like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ-N). Products are cheap and they can easily raise costs. Also likes Medtronics (MDT-N) which is a device manufacturer.

Likes the company and if you are comfortable with this, he thinks the medical device space is very positive demographically. You could hold this for the longer-term.

Done well, constantly makes money. Incredible debt load relative to revenues. Insiders have not really been selling. Great company and pays a nice dividend but he would be looking to sell it - next year to defer tax.