Why Savvy Investors Are Loading Up on This Beaten-Down Stock

Shares of Medtronic (MDT 2.48%) are down 40% from their 2021 high. The dividend yield is a historically high 3.6%. Although this medical device maker is deeply unloved, now could be a good time for savvy investors to start adding it to their portfolios. Here’s why.

Medtronic is revamping its business

Medtronic is facing headwinds. Growth and profitability have both been weak spots. But management is attempting to improve its business performance.

Image source: Getty Images.

On the profitability side, the medical device maker has been readjusting its product portfolio to focus on its highest margin businesses. Included in that process is the spin-off of the company’s diabetes division as MiniMed (MMED 1.36%). That division was growing quickly, but it had lower margins, so the spin-off is expected to improve Medtronic’s margins and be immediately accretive to Medtronic’s earnings.

On the growth side, the company has several new products it is bringing to market after a dry spell. The most notable is the company’s Hugo surgical robot. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 0.81%) has benefited for years from strong demand for its da Vinci surgical robot. There’s good reason to believe Hugo will be well received, too, given Medtronic’s deep customer relationships in the healthcare sector. The company has also been acquiring smaller companies with interesting technology, in an effort to further bolster its product pipeline for the future.

Medtronic is paying you well to wait

Basically, Medtronic is putting the puzzle pieces together to get back on a stronger footing. When that happens, Wall Street is likely to reward the stock with a higher valuation. While you wait for that to happen, you can collect the stock’s well-above-market yield. But there’s more to the dividend story than just the yield.

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NYSE: MDT

Medtronic

Today’s Change

(-2.48%) $-1.93

Current Price

$76.03

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$98B

Day’s Range

$75.92 - $78.27

52wk Range

$75.91 - $106.33

Volume

229K

Avg Vol

8.8M

Gross Margin

59.59%

Dividend Yield

3.73%

Medtronic’s dividend has been increased annually for 48 consecutive years. While the last few dividend increases have been little more than token hikes, the streak is still intact. And the company is just two years away from hitting Dividend King status. A company can’t increase its dividend for this long without successfully working through difficult periods. This is just one of the hard times. If history is any guide, Medtronic will get through this and back on a better track.

Buy Medtronic now, before the business improves

There’s no way to know exactly when Wall Street starts to see Medtronic in a better light. However, if you buy the stock now, you will be there when the business trends turn positive again. And, when that does happen, you’ll likely see a return to faster dividend growth, as well. This is why savvy long-term investors should consider buying Medtronic now, while the stock is still beaten down.