Koninklijke Philips Electronics (PHG)

(A Top Pick May 26/17 - Up 20%.) Just sold it to take profits. Still likes it. Global health technology company.

They make the big iron of medical practice, such as MRI machines and CT machines. This is not where the big growth has been, or will be. This company has a tremendous bureaucracy and its unions are very powerful. In emerging markets, it’s likely in lower end machines which will not help growth. Philips also talks a lot about consumer products, like toothbrushes. He thinks these are great products, with great returns, but he suspects that their main business is supplying old technology equipment to hospitals.

This has morphed itself from making radios, etc. into being a global leader in medical technology. If you go into a hospital room, you will their equipment all over the place. They’ve done a fantastic job after a lengthy restructuring. It pays a dividend, and there should be some dividend growth following earnings growth. He is looking for double digit earnings growth. He still sees upside in this.

(A Top Pick Aug 8/16. Up 49%.) After years of painful restructuring, they’ve successfully transitioned into a healthcare technology company, and become an earnings growth story in a big way. The focus has been on products that help drive down healthcare costs and getting people out of hospitals faster. They are in the sweet spot of where you want to be in healthcare. Still buying.

(A Top Pick Aug 8/16. Up 52.17%.) Philips spun off its lighting business for which it was very well known. However, the Philips of today is a health care technology company making all kinds of interesting devices. It is an amazing company after a lengthy multiyear restructuring. They are finally at the place where they want to be. They’ve had very strong management. Has a slew of products coming out that are pretty uniquely positioned. Medical devices and diagnostic equipment is a growth place for health care, because it ultimately leads to cost savings. There is still reasonable upside on this.

This is a Netherlands name. Global health technology. Broadly speaking, he likes Europe. When you look at names in the euro zone, you want to look at those that are exporters. Because the euro has been low, these exporters can do very well from a currency standpoint. This continues to do well due to its continued cost cutting, restructuring and operational leverage measures. They are divesting their LED light bulbs. Consolidating their healthcare, personal care and consumer lifestyle divisions. Only trading at 10X enterprise value over EBITDA. Dividend yield of 2.4%. (Analysts’ price target is $35.77.)

Finally spun off its lighting business into an IPO, called Philips Lighting. They own 75%, and got a great price for it. The lighting business accounts for about $3 per share of the value of the stock. They also got about $750 million from the IPO. They are now really a medical technology company, and are in some great niches that are growing. In fact, earnings growth for the next 3 years should be in a 10%-20% level, probably closer to 20%. Has not been well-managed in the past, but as a medical technology device business, they are incredibly well positioned. #1 globally in several of their areas. They will be cleaning up their balance sheet and probably making some more bolt-on acquisitions. Dividend yield of 3.36%.

(Top Pick Aug 18/14, Down 16.67%) They are in the midst of a huge restructuring. They are spinning out their lighting division. He thinks they will perform much better as three companies.

They are splitting out the low margin LED lighting business and focusing on medical. They will benefit from European QE. With more US workers having jobs, more health care spending will result. Let it come down a little lower before pulling the trigger. 3.2% dividend.

The problem with this company is that it has always been an enormous sporting-industrial company. Some things like lighting are really good, but consumer electronics got absolutely murdered. Splitting it into various parts makes a great deal of sense. He would wait to see what comes out of the corporate changes before getting into this.

A global leader in LED lighting, which is a huge growth area for this company. Also, a leader in healthcare equipment such as diagnostics, ECG, etc. They are going through the latter stages of a long restructuring. Earnings are poised to grow by about 20% next year and double digit growth for the next few years. Extremely well-positioned in their businesses. Strong dividend yield of 3.59% even after not a great time. He sees earnings going from the $2 a share level, to $3.50-$4 a share over the next 5 years.

One of the first European companies to admit they were having a tough time with sales. Investors expected a recovery and drove the price to something that was not sustainable. It is an interesting story. It is a play on the US health sector. A well run company, but subject to some volatility. You might get it on weakness.