Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Stryker Corporation, Zimmer Holdings Inc., CONMED Corporation, Smith & Nephew and Johnson & Johnson

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – December 2, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Stryker Corporation (SYK - Analyst Report), Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH - Analyst Report), CONMED Corporation (CNMD - Analyst Report), Smith & Nephew (SNN - Snapshot Report) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Analyst Report).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Stryker Set for Acquisition

Stryker Corporation (SYK - Analyst Report) is set to acquire privately-held Ascent Healthcare Solutions Inc., the market leader in the reprocessing and remanufacturing of medical devices in the U.S. The all-cash transaction is valued at $525 million.

The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2009. It will be neutral to Stryker's earnings per share in 2010 and accretive thereafter. Post-acquisition, Ascent Healthcare Solutions will become a division of Stryker under the company’s MedSurg group of businesses and will retain its name.

Ascent Healthcare Solutions Inc. was formed in 2005 by the merger of Alliance Medical Corporation and Vanguard Medical Concepts. These two were the leading players in the reprocessing and remanufacturing of medical devices. Ascent Healthcare Solutions Inc. presently provides its services to 1,800 leading hospitals and numerous Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) throughout North America. The company has two state-of-the-art reprocessing facilities in Phoenix, Arizona and Lakeland, Florida.

Ascent Healthcare Solutions Inc. offers a broad portfolio of products in various fields like cardiovascular, orthopedics, gastroenterology and general surgery. The company reported revenues in excess of $100 million in 2008.

Reprocessing and remanufacturing of medical devices in compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows for significant cost savings by hospitals. Therefore, the acquisition enables Stryker to add value to services it provides to different hospitals and healthcare providers. This will in turn boost the company’s top-line.

Stryker is one of the world’s largest medical devices companies operating in the global orthopedic market. In the orthopedic space, Stryker faces competition from major players like Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH - Analyst Report), CONMED Corporation (CNMD - Analyst Report), Smith & Nephew (SNN - Snapshot Report) and Johnson & Johnson/DePuy (JNJ - Analyst Report).

Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5515.

About Zacks Equity Research

Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.

Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5517

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at http://at.zacks.com/?id=5518.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact:
Mark Vickery
Web Content Editor
312-265-9380
Visit: www.zacks.com

Read the full analyst report on SYK

Read the full analyst report on ZMH

Read the full analyst report on CNMD

Read the full analyst report on SNN

Read the full analyst report on JNJ