The Best Stock in Minnesota: Medtronic

We scoured the nation to identify the best stock in every state. Medtronic (symbol MDT) is the publicly traded company we picked in Minnesota. The company headquarters is located in Minneapolis.

A word of caution: Since we selected a single stock from each state (plus one from D.C), and choices in some states are sparse, a few of our picks are best suited to investors comfortable with a higher degree of risk. This is not necessarily one of our 51 favorite stocks in the entire U.S., in other words.

Medtronic by the Numbers

• Headquarters: Minneapolis
• Share price: $89.09
• Market value: $122.0 billion
• Price-earnings ratio: 18

(Prices and data are as of June 22, 2017)

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Medtronic is reshuffling its business lines, joining forces with fast-growing partners and jettisoning laggards. In January 2015, Medtronic, which specializes in therapeutic medical devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators and stents, acquired Covidien, a leader in minimally invasive surgical devices.

With the acquisition, says CFRA analyst Jeffrey Loo, Medtronic becomes a worldwide leader in a diverse array of medical products. Then, in April, Medtronic agreed to sell its hospital-supply business, which focused on patient-care products, to Cardinal Health. Medtronic will use $1 billion of the after-tax proceeds to buy back shares, and it will pay down debt with the remaining $4.5 billion. Analysts at UBS say the sale exemplifies Medtronic’s commitment to selling its less profitable, slower-growing business segments in favor of higher-growth opportunities. The company has also committed to spending $10 billion on research and development in the U.S. through 2024. CFRA’s Loo says the stock is a “buy” and reckons it could reach a price of $100 a share over the next 12 months.