5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Buy For 2014

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) has inoculated itself against today’s biotech selloff thanks to its stellar financial results.

The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) has fallen 1.3% to $128.69 at 2:10 p.m., as Biogen Idec (BIIB) has dropped 4.2% to $293.91 and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) has declined 3.7% to $291.81. Even Gilead Sciences (GILD), which managed to buck yesterday’s weakness, has dipped 0.4% to $73.59.

Not Alexion Pharmaceuticals. It’s gained 3.1% to $167.97 after reporting a profit of $1.56 a share, topping analyst forecasts for $1.26 and raising its full-year guidance. “Gotta love this company,” Piper Jaffray’s Joshua Schimmer and team titled a report this morning. They explain why:

[Alexion Pharmaceuticals] beat on 1Q14 this morning, lowered [operating expense] guidance, reiterated revenue guidance and raised EPS guidance. The company continues to deliver to shareholders and remains poised to easily deliver a sustainable 20%+ EPS CAGR through the end of the decade and beyond with plenty of room for upside in our model based on both Soliris performance and operating/tax margins. Recent weakness in shares creates a nice entry point for a company committed to quality. While this may not be the best tape for higher multiple growth stocks, [Alexion's] advancing pipeline, rapidly growing earnings, frequent beat/raises and high quality team suggests to us that organic EPS growth will power through any incremental multiple compression.

Hot Performing Stocks To Invest In 2015: Merit Medical Systems Inc.(MMSI)

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in interventional and diagnostic procedures worldwide. It offers cardiology and radiology devices, which assist in diagnosing and treating coronary arterial disease, peripheral vascular disease, and other non-vascular diseases. The company?s cardiology and radiology devices include inflation devices; hemostasis valves; vascular retrieval devices; vascular access products; diagnostic catheters; guide wires and torque devices; and angiography and angioplasty accessories. Its cardiology and radiology devices also comprise safety and waste management systems; radial artery compression devices; drainage catheters and accessories; paracentesis, thoracentesis, and pericardiocentesis catheters; therapeutic infusion catheters; embolic microspheres; multipurpose microcatheters; and dialysis and interventional nephrology products. The company also provides gastroenterology and pulmonolog y devices that assist in the palliative treatment of expanding esophageal, tracheobronchial, and biliary strictures caused by malignant tumors. Its gastroenterology and pulmonology devices consist of airway, esophageal, and biliary stents; stent sizing devices; guide wires for non-vascular procedures; bipolar coagulation probes; inflation devices; and cholangiography rapid refill continuous injection kits, as well as specialty devices and accessories, such as discography products and pressure sensors. The company sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, original equipment manufacturer partners, and custom procedure tray manufacturers. Its customers include hospitals and clinic-based cardiologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, physiatrists, neurologists, nephrologists, vascular surgeons, interventional gastroenterologists and pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, technicians, and nurses. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in South Jordan, Utah.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Garrett Cook]

  Shares of Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ: MMSI) were down 15.40 percent to $12.47 after the company reported downbeat quarterly results and issued a weak FY14 forecast.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Buy For 2014: Northwest Pipe Company (NWPX)

Northwest Pipe Company manufactures and markets large-diameter, high-pressure steel pipeline systems for use in water infrastructure applications, primarily related to drinking water systems. Its pipeline systems are also used for hydroelectric power systems, wastewater systems, and other applications. The company also manufactures smaller diameter, electric resistance welded steel pipes and other welded steel pipe products for use in a range of applications, including energy, construction, agriculture, industrial, and traffic signpost systems. In addition, it manufactures products for various structural piling applications and in-plant pipeline systems for power plants and other industrial applications. The company sells its water transmission products to public water agencies directly or through installation contractors; and tubular products to distributors and original equipment manufacturers through a network of direct sales force personnel and sales agents in the Unit ed States and Canada. Northwest Pipe Company was founded in 1966 and is based in Vancouver, Washington.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Aaron Levitt]

  Enter Northwest Pipe (NWPX).

  NWPX is the leading supplier of high-pressure steel pipe used in wastewater, hydroelectric power and potable drinking water applications. While Northwest�� steel pipes are more expensive to install and use than similar concrete ones, water authorities in dryer climates prefer them as they have zero evaporation rises.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Buy For 2014: Compucon Computer Applications SA (COMP)

Compucon Computer Applications SA is a Greek company engaged mainly in the information technology sector. The Company's activities include the manufacture and trade of electronics and software for the embroidery, telematics, laser, Web solutions and medical fields. In the embroidery field it offers album presentation or embroidery designs, lettering with a variety of fonts, frames and specialized features, and realistic three-dimensional views of embroidery designs. The Company also produces laser cutting and engraving devices for the embroidery sector. The range of telematics applications includes automotive positioning systems, fleet management and navigation systems. Its Web solutions offering includes the SiteCosmos, which is an integrated tool for on-line content management and Website design for small and medium enterprises, while the medical applications target the management of patient-oriented information, diet schedules, word processing, prescriptions and other services. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Benjamin Pimentel]

  The Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) �gave up 0.3% to close at 4,308, but the benchmark ended the week up 1%.

• [By Anora Mahmudova]

  The Nasdaq Composite (COMP) �finished the day 42.50 points, or 1%, lower at 4,276.79, with the biotech stocks hit the hardest on the index . iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF fell 4.7%. Friday�� losses dented the tech-heavy index�� weekly gain to 0.7%.

5 Best Healthcare Equipment Stocks To Buy For 2014: RPM International Inc.(RPM)

RPM International Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and sells various specialty chemical products to industrial and consumer markets worldwide. The company?s Industrial segment offers waterproofing and institutional roofing systems used in building protection, maintenance, and weatherproofing applications; sealants, tapes, and foams; residential basement waterproofing systems; specialized roofing and building maintenance and related services; specialty industrial adhesives and sealants; and concrete and masonry additives, and related construction chemicals. It also offers polymer flooring systems, and offshore and marine structures; industrial and commercial tile systems; fiberglass reinforced plastic gratings and shapes; heavy-duty corrosion-control coatings, fireproofing products, and containment linings; specialty construction products, including bridge expansion joints, bridge deck and parking deck membranes, curb and channel drains, highway markings, protective coatings, and concrete repairs; and fluorescent colorants and pigments, waterproofing and flooring products, exterior insulating finishing systems, and shellac-based-specialty coatings for industrial and pharmaceutical uses, edible glazes, and food coatings. The company?s Consumer segment provides professional use and do-it-yourself products for a range of consumer applications, including home improvement and personal leisure activities. Its products include coating products; specialty products; deck and fence restoration products; metallic and faux finish coatings; hobby paints and cements; and caulks, sealants, adhesives, insulating foam, spackling, glazing, and other general patch and repair products. The company offers its products under the Carboline, DAP, EUCO, Fibergrate, Flecto, Flowcrete, Hummervoll, Universal Sealants, illbruck, Rust-Oleum, Stonhard, Tremco, Watco, and Zinsser brand names. RPM International was founded in 1947 and is headquarte red in Medina, Ohio.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Wednesday

  Earnings Expected From: Uniferst (NYSE: UNF), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), RPM International (NYSE: RPM), Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) Economic Releases Expected: German trade balance, German factory orders, Australian retail sales

  Thursday

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Each month, Credit Suisse’s small-cap strategists ask the firm’s analyst to name their favorite small- and mid-cap stocks. This month, six new stocks made the list: RPM International (RPM), SunCoke Energy (SXC), Zions Bancorp (ZION), Signature Bank (SBNY), Edwards Lifesciences (EW) and�Rexnord (RXN).

• [By The Part-time Investor]

  The following stocks met the criteria in January of 2008 and were put into the initial portfolio:

  Abbot Labs (ABT)Advanced data processing (ADP)Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC)Bank of America (BAC)BB&T Corp. (BBT)Bemis Company (BMS)Anheuser Busch (BUD)The Chubb Corporation (CB)Clorox (CLX)Comerica Inc. (CMA)Diebold Inc. (DBD)Emerson Electronics (EMR)First Dollar Corp. (FDO)First Third BanCorp. (FITB)Gannett Co, Inc. (GCI)General Electric (GE)Hershey (HSY)Illinois Tools Works (ITW)Johnson and Johnson (JNJ)Leggett and Platt (LEG)Eli Lilly (LLY)La-Z-Boy (LZB)McDonald's (MCD)Marsh and Ilsley (MI)M&T Bancorp (MTB)PepsiCo (PEP)Pfizer (PFE)Procter & Gamble (PG)Pentair Ltd. (PNR)Regions Financial Corp. (RF)Rohm and Haas (ROH)RPM International (RPM)Sherwin Williams (SHW)Sysco Corp. (SYY)UDR Inc. (UDR)

  Historical quotes were taken from Yahoo Finance. $10,000 was put into each position, to the nearest whole share, so a total of $349,262.89 was invested. From 1/15/08 through 5/16/13 all dividends were reinvested back into the stock that paid them. If a dividend cut was announced, that stock was sold on the ex-div date of the new, lower dividend.

• [By Laura Brodbeck]

  Next week investors will be waiting for several key earnings reports including�Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN),RPM International Inc. (NYSE: RPM), ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN), and Del Frisco�� Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: DFRG)