The months ahead are going to be full of uncertainty for the economy. The war in Ukraine, rising interest rates, and inflation are just some of the headwinds that many global businesses are facing these days.
However, one healthcare company that sees growth on the horizon is Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO 0.66%). Not only is it not too concerned about these obstacles, but it also recently raised its guidance for the year.
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Thermo Fisher expects 8% revenue growth in 2022
On its first-quarter earnings call last month, Thermo Fisher's CEO Marc Casper said that the company was raising its guidance for the year by $450 million. For 2022, the business now expects to bring in $42.45 billion in sales -- an 8% increase from 2021. Just a few months earlier, in February, the company said it was projecting 2022 revenue to come in at $42 billion. And at the time, that was already a $1.5 billion increase in its guidance.
Even though $450 million may sound like a relatively modest increase for a company that makes over $40 billion in revenue, combined with the February increase, that's nearly $2 billion more that Thermo Fisher is expecting to generate since the start of the year. It's a positive sign to investors that the company is confident enough just to issue guidance for the year (many businesses have simply avoided making any forecasts), let alone increase it. And the company could perform even better than this, as the guidance "incorporates the expected impact of the recent macroeconomic dynamics."
Why is the company so bullish?
What has Thermo Fisher optimistic is that it has been gaining market share, and its recent acquisition, PPD, has also been contributing and helping the business grow. It was only this past December that Thermo Fisher closed on its $17.4 billion acquisition of clinical research services company PPD. It can take some time to see how a new acquisition integrates with the existing business -- and obviously, the early results have been promising enough to justify an increase in guidance. Not only was revenue in its most recent quarter (the period ending April 2) $1 billion better than the company's previous guidance, but its adjusted per-share profit was also $0.84 higher.
But it's more than just recent results that have the company optimistic about the year. Here's a more detailed breakdown of what's behind Thermo Fisher's latest guidance increase:
| Reason | Revenue Impact |
|---|---|
| Higher COVID-19 testing revenue | $350 million |
| Improved outlook for the core business | $300 million |
| Change in foreign exchange | ($200 million) |
| Total change in guidance | $450 million |
Source: Company earnings calls. Table by author.
Thermo Fisher also noted that PPD will generate $6.7 billion in revenue for the year, which represents core organic growth of 11%, which is also ahead of earlier guidance.
Thermo Fisher is a stock you can buy and hold for decades
Although Thermo Fisher's stock is down 21% this year (worse than the S&P 500's decline of 16%), it's still a terrific long-term buy. Over the years, the company has grown via acquisitions and successfully integrated many businesses into its operations, with PPD being just the latest. The company knows how to efficiently grow, and that's a great sign for long-term investors.
And historically, Thermo Fisher has been a market-beating stock, with its 5-year returns of 207% eclipsing the S&P 500's gains of just 68% during that period. In all likelihood, given the continued growth and stability that the stock offers, Thermo Fisher will continue to outperform the broader markets over the long haul. And that's what makes it a great stock to load up on today.
