Smith & Nephew’s CEO Departure Feeds Takeover Talk

With the company surrounded by takeover rumours already, the unexpected departure of Illingworth could provide more fodder for the acquisition chatter

Alex Morozov, CFA 10 February, 2011 | 7:04PM
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Smith & Nephew (SN.) turned in solid fourth-quarter operating results that were generally in line with our expectations of a steady recovery in underlying demand. We're maintaining our fair value estimate. We also find interesting the timing of S&N's announcement of the retirement of its CEO David Illingworth. With the company surrounded by takeover rumours already, the unexpected departure of Illingworth could provide more fodder for the acquisition chatter. The firms rumoured to be involved are Johnson & Johnson JNJ and privately-held Biomet.

Sales were flat overall, but grew 5% once adjusted for extra selling days. Adjusted for this impact, orthopedics grew 5%, endoscopy at 6%, and advanced wound management at 7%. The firm knocked the ball out of park in knees, with 10% year-over-year growth, well above its peers. The company is grabbing market share in knees following the FDA's approval of its 30-year wear claim for its Verilast technology as well as the success of its direct-to-consumer marketing campaign. Hips, on the other hand, only posted 1% growth, with the overall volume affected by slow Birmingham Hip Resurfacing system sales. Strong results in wound management and endoscopy are in line with our expectations and are a continuation of a trend we've seen during the last few quarters.

On the bottom line, Smith & Nephew also performed admirably, growing its operating margin by 120 basis points to 23.9% (adjusted for a nonrecurring gain) despite some pricing pressure on its product lines. The company continues to benefit from its push into emerging markets, both on the volume and the cost side. S&N's outlook for 2011 generally fell in line with our expectations.

Alex Morozov, CFA is an equity analyst with Morningstar.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Securities Mentioned in Article

Security NamePriceChange (%)Morningstar
Rating
Smith & Nephew PLC964.40 GBX-1.93Rating

About Author

Alex Morozov, CFA  Alex Morozov is the director of the health-care team at Morningstar.

© Copyright 2022 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Terms of Use        Privacy Policy        Modern Slavery Statement        Cookie Settings        Disclosures