Stryker Corp.SYKBUYSep 22, 2026Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Sep 24, 2026. Market Open.
Cyberattack and hospitals facing budget pressures with higher interest rates. Expensive capital equipment, but once it's in place the company has a bit of a moat. Hard to switch once you've bought it. Good recurring revenue. Great job acquiring and driving organic growth. Many procedures are medically necessary, which makes earnings even more resilient.
Earnings growth of 10% as far as the eye can see. Priced ~14.5x PE. Priced right, good stock to buy. If you're nervous about this market, sell some puts.
Their robotics platform in medical devices has a 70% market share in the U.S., and has a recurring revenue stream. SYK feels it can make up for losses from the cyber attack by the end of the year. 75% of revenues are in the U.S. and 25% internationally. Will benefit from aging demographics (hip and knee replacement), but also shoulder and spine. Pays a 1% dividend which keeps increasing.
(Analysts’ price target is $384.08)He started buying this in 2021 when the stock got hammered during Covid, but recovered after it. SYK has been hammered this year because of overall weakness in the health sector. Also, SYK had a cybersecurity attack. SYK has the best relationships with doctors and is arguably the leader in medical devices. The valuation is attractive. Expects $15 EPS in 2027 at 20x PE. Is growing the topline 10%. The population is aging.
Main business is orthopedics, which is profitable for US hospitals. As artificial joints improve, more people opt for surgery rather than rehab. All of med tech in general has been weak (though he's not sure why).
Very well run. Consistently gaining market share from JNJ and ZBH. Cybersecurity incident in Q1, which impacted production. High quality. Revenue should grow high single digits for foreseeable future. Yield is 1.24%.
The overhang to medtech has been Medicare cuts. However, orthopedic implants are a sticky business, because doctors stick with the same medical devices. Also, SYK benefits from an aging population that will need hip and knee replacement surgeries.