Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2015

Top 5 Japanese Stocks To Watch For 2015: Zimmer Holdings Inc.(ZMH)

Zimmer Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of orthopedic reconstructive devices, spinal and trauma devices, dental implants, and related surgical products in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers orthopedic reconstructive devices that restore function lost due to disease or trauma in joints such as knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows; dental reconstructive implants, which restore function and aesthetics in patients who have lost teeth due to trauma or disease; spinal devices that are utilized by orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons in the treatment of degenerative diseases, deformities, and trauma in various regions of the spine; and trauma devices used primarily to reattach or stabilize damaged bone and tissue to support the body?s natural healing process. It also provides surgical products comprising surgical supplies and instruments designed to aid in orthopedic surgical proce dures and post-operation rehabilitation. In addition, the company offers healthcare consulting services. Its customers include orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, oral surgeons, dentists, hospitals, stocking distributors, and healthcare dealers, as well as agents, healthcare purchasing organizations, or buying groups. The company was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Philip Springer]

  This was a big week for the global pharmaceutical industry. First, rumors of one deal suggested a possible return to the industry’s old self-destructive ways. But then two other transactions were announced that signaled continuation of a newer trend that’s much healthier for shareholders.
  
  On Monday, it was reported that New York-based Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) had been in talks to acquire Astra! Zeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN), headquartered in London, for over $100 billion. The companies apparently broke off the discussions.
  
  If such a transaction were to occur, it would be the latest in a long series of megamergers that characterized the corporate strategies of Pfizer, Swiss drug giant Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) and others in the 1990s and 2000s. Back then, the aim was to acquire rivals in multibillion-dollar deals that broadened the buyers’ businesses to cover more diseases and new health-care areas.
  
  The catalyst for this buying binge was the so-ca lled patent cliff, in which some of the sector’s biggest drugs faced the loss of patents that protected them from competition, resulting in reduced revenues and earnings.
  
  Since then, however, the patent cliff problem has waned because many of those patent expirations have already occurred. And the bigger, combined companies generally have come up short on development of new blockbuster drugs. Also, excessive diversification has brought weak competitive positions in some niches.
  
  But the current industry trend is for companies to focus more on their core strengths instead of diversifying. Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) have made such moves over the last few years in order to focus on what they consider higher-growth prospects.
  
  Tuesday brought more of the same. Novartis and UK-based GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) announced more than $20 billion in deals. Novartis is to sell its animal-drugs busi

• [By Dan Carroll]

  One look around the industry this quarter tells the story. Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH  ) reported its own third-quarter results today. Zimmer's hip sales grew by only 2%, and while growing knee product sales managed to lift the company's quarterly revenue above expectations, the business hasn't been enough to save Zimmer's earnings from falling due to legal fees and other expenses. It's a similar ! story at ! Stryker (NYSE: SYK  ) , another major rival in the orthopedics space. Stryker made a big move recently to purchase robotic orthopedic surgical firm MAKO Surgical to jump-start sales growth, and it'll need the jolt. Stryker's knee business grew revenue by only 2.1% in the third quarter, and while its hip sales managed strong growth, the firm will need its smaller, faster-growing businesses to continue to come through.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  Orthopaedics sales of $2.28B grew by 1.1% (all growth rates are Y/Y unless otherwise specified) constant currency (CC) vs. 3% CC organic growth in 2Q13 and missed consensus of $2.35B. JNJ’s worldwide hip growth was 6% CC vs. 4% CC in 2Q13 and its worldwide knee growth was 3% CC vs. 2% CC in 2Q13. We think JNJ’s results and commentary are positive for [Stryker (SYK) and Zimmer Holdings (ZMH)].

• [By Dan Carroll]

  Despite all this, however, leading orthopedics firms have pushed on. Companies such as Stryker (NYSE: SYK  ) and Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH  ) have shown signs of hope for investors even while dealing with problems such as device recalls, but is this enough to warrant your investment in the orthopedics industry? Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll and health care analyst Max Macaluso discuss what you need to know about this industry in the video below.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-japanese-stocks-to-watch-for-2015-2.html