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Merit Medical (MMSI) to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in Store?

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Merit Medical Systems, Inc (MMSI - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2018 earnings on Jul 23, after the market closes. The company’s acquisition-driven strategy is expected to boost growth by expanding existing product offerings across all business segments in the quarter. Strong prospects in the HeRO product line are a positive.

In the last reported quarter, Merit Medical’s adjusted earnings came in at 31 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.9%. Earnings rose 10.7% from the prior-year quarter’s tally. In the quarter, worldwide revenues totaled $203 million on a reported basis, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.6%. The company posted an average positive earnings surprise of 10.2% in the trailing four quarters.

For the quarter to be reported, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $214.5 million, reflecting a rise of 15%. The same for adjusted earnings is at 40 cents, mirroring a 11.1% increase.

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Price and Consensus

 

Let’s delve into the factors that are likely to impact Merit Medical’s upcoming quarterly results.

Acquisitions to Drive Growth

Merit Medical has been leveraging on bolt-on buyouts to drive inorganic growth. On May 2, the company announced a worldwide distribution agreement with NinePoint Medical, Inc and the development of a strategic alliance between the Merit Endotek division and NinePoint Medical.

The alliance is likely to combine the highly exclusive gastrointestinal and pulmonary medical devices from Merit Endotek with the ground-breaking Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) platform from NinePoint Medical.

Leadership Change

Merit Medical witnessed a major change in its leadership in the second quarter. On May 31, the company announced that Bernard Birkett has resigned as the chief financial officer. In his replacement, Raul Parra, a veteran who has already served the company for more than eight years, has been appointed as the new interim chief financial officer. The company’s shares have significantly improved since then.

FDA Approvals

Of the major approvals, the company’s recently-approved Prelude Ideal product by the FDA deserves a mention. It is a unique vascular sheath. Strong demand for this product has bolstered the company’s prominence in the MedTech markets. Apart from Prelude Ideal, the company recently received a 510(k) for a distal access SYNC and the Merit Pursue Microcatheter.

Positive feedbacks and approvals from the top-notch regulatory bodies is likely to boost the top line in the second quarter with an expanded customer base. Notably, by the end of the first quarter of 2018, Merit Medical confirmed that it has almost 50 active R&D products in its portfolio.

HeRO to Drive Growth

Merit Medical’s HeRO product line has been a key contributor to growth. HeRO Graft, Super HeRO Adapter and HeRO Ally Revision Kit are the three platforms within the HeRO family of dialysis devices. Considering the solid global prospects of hemodialysis solutions, the HeRO product line is likely to provide Merit Medical with a competitive edge in the MedTech markets in the quarter to be reported.

Earnings Whispers

Per our proven model, a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to deliver a positive earnings surprise in the fiscal third quarter. This is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: Merit Medical has an Earnings ESP of -7.11. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: The company carries a Zacks Rank #2.

Please note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revision.

Stocks Worth a Look

Here are a few medical stocks worth considering as they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.

Bio-Rad Laboratories (BIO - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +7.41% and a Zacks Rank of 2.

Baxter International Inc (BAX - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.42% and a Zacks Rank of 2.

DexCom, Inc. (DXCM - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +12.84% and a Zacks Rank of 3.

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