Barclays Calls MedTech Cheapest in a Decade, Names Stryker and Beta Bionics to Buy

Medtronic plc is trading at roughly 14.4 times forward earnings at $86.38 per share after raising its fiscal 2027 organic revenue growth and diluted non-GAAP EPS outlook in September. The company now expects organic revenue growth of 7.25% to 7.75% and full-year diluted non-GAAP EPS of $5.94 to $6.00, following first-quarter non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.45 that came in ahead of guidance. Fiscal 2027 first-quarter revenue rose 13.7% organically to $9.8 billion, though Medtronic estimated that an extra fiscal week in the quarter contributed approximately $570 million to organic growth, making the headline rate look stronger than underlying recurring growth. Cardiovascular led the quarter with organic revenue up 18.9%, including 88% growth in Cardiac Ablation Solutions and 29.1% growth in Electrophysiology Therapies, while Neuroscience rose 9.3%, Medical Surgical grew 10.2%, and Diabetes rose 14.9% organically. The company has also expanded through the acquisitions of Scientia Vascular and SPR Therapeutics and announced further investments in robotic-assisted surgery and leaflet modification technology. Medtronic shares have declined more than 7% over the past 12 months, compared with a 17% gain for the broader market.

Abbott Laboratories reported a 13% year-on-year revenue increase in the second quarter of 2026, with like-for-like sales up 4.8%, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.63 per share, an annualized payout of $2.52. The company has raised its dividend for 54 consecutive years, though its annualized payout ratio of about 82% of trailing earnings of $3.09 per share sits on the high side, while its free-cash-flow payout ratio is roughly 56% on about $9.9 billion in operating cash flow and $7.8 billion in free cash flow over the past 12 months. Abbott's acquisition of Exact Sciences has expanded its cancer diagnostics business, and it recently obtained a CE Mark for Libre Duo, a sensor tracking both glucose and ketone levels. In the first half of 2026, reported sales rose 10.5% while comparable sales rose 4.3%, and trailing-12-month revenue has reached around $46.6 billion. The stock trades at about 33.5 times trailing earnings and 17 times forward earnings, with a dividend yield of about 2.5%.

Tandem Diabetes Care is broadening its product roadmap with new integrations, wider device compatibility and next-generation closed-loop technology while pushing international expansion. In second-quarter 2026, international sales rose 7% year over year to $75.3 million and pump shipments increased 19% to about 11,000, with direct-channel sales reaching about 13% of international revenues compared with 4% a year earlier. The company submitted a 510(k) for Mobi tubeless in the second quarter of 2026 and still targets a scaled launch in 2026 subject to FDA clearance, while Dexcom G7 15-day compatibility is now available for Mobi and t:slim X2 in the United States and t:slim X2 supports Abbott FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus in seven countries outside the United States. Tandem also received FDA approval of an IDE for its AIDANET fully closed-loop program and plans to begin a pivotal study later in 2026. Tandem ended the quarter with $456 million of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments and no short-term debt, though a key infusion set supplier constrained supply sales and inventory, and the 10-Q states inventory constraints are expected to persist through 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Tandem's 2026 loss per share stands at 66 cents, indicating a year-over-year improvement of 74.4%, while 2026 revenues are pegged at $1.07 billion, a 5.7% increase from the year-ago reported number.

Medtronic plc reported 13.7% organic and reported topline growth in its first quarter, with revenue reaching $9.756 billion and adjusted earnings of $1.45 per share. Double-digit year-over-year growth was seen across all major segments, with Cardiovascular up 19.5%, Diabetes up 16.9%, Neuroscience up 10.3% and Medical Surgical up 10%, though an extra fiscal week added approximately $570 million to quarterly revenue. CFO Thierry Piéton said the Cardiac Ablation Solutions segment is annualizing at more than $2 billion in revenue, and the unit surpassed $2 billion in trailing 12-month revenue in Q1 FY27, ahead of management's target. The company made a $700 million strategic investment in Cornerstone Robotics that includes rights to distribute the Sentire Surgical System in select markets outside the US, complementing its existing Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system. Medtronic carries a market capitalization of almost $109.3 billion, with $37.54 billion in revenue over the prior twelve months, an operating margin of 19.33% and a net margin of 13.93%; the stock trades at a trailing price-to-earnings multiple of 22x and a forward P/E of 14.93x. Hedge fund holdings rose to 67 in the second quarter of 2026 from 60 in the prior quarter, while BlackRock is the largest institutional investor with 114.02 million shares, or 8.91% of outstanding shares.

Citi reiterated Abbott Laboratories and Dexcom as its top picks in the medtech sector, pointing to near-term catalysts and improving operational momentum. For Abbott, Citi said low third-quarter 2026 expectations leave room for recovery into 2027, with the continuous glucose monitoring business the swing factor: CGM sales were $2 billion in the first quarter, up 7.5%, and management is guiding to a return to double-digit growth in the second quarter. Abbott recently raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance and received an upgrade to a Buy rating from Rothschild Redburn, which cited strength in the Medical Devices business. Dexcom, Citi's second top pick, is up about 35% year to date after falling 14.7% in 2025, with second-quarter revenue of $1.308 billion, an increase of 13.1% year-over-year, 12% organic growth, international revenue up 19%, and a product transition that lifted gross margin by roughly 400 basis points. Citi called Dexcom the one name with visible operating momentum and a share-gain story against Abbott's slower CGM growth, while beyond the two top picks it sees upside catalysts for Edwards, Sight Sciences and Zimmer Biomet and downside for Boston Scientific, which has already cut guidance after a cyberattack and is down roughly half this year.

Abbott Laboratories and Berry Street announced an exclusive US partnership that pairs Abbott's over the counter Lingo glucose biowearable with Berry Street dietitians delivering insurance supported live nutrition coaching. The program combines real time glucose data with personalized lifestyle guidance, targeting metabolic health support for millions of Americans. Abbott, a medical equipment producer with a US$169.9b market cap, spans diagnostics, devices, and broader health care products, and the tie up plugs its glucose tracking hardware into a recurring service layer intended to influence everyday behavior in real time. Lingo sensors track a user's glucose continuously while Berry Street dietitians interpret those readings into food and lifestyle suggestions over virtual sessions. The key proof point to watch is whether Abbott begins disclosing Lingo user numbers or sensor volumes tied to Berry Street referrals, for example in upcoming quarterly updates, which would show the reimbursed coaching model is gaining real traction rather than remaining a small pilot.