Medtronic (MDT -1.89%) is kind of a boring business. Sure, it is one of the world's largest medical device makers, but its diversified portfolio tends to mask the exciting developments taking place in the business. But management has managed to turn this industry leader in a more attractive direction. Here's why Wall Street should be talking a lot more about Medtronic.
Medtronic got a little bloated
To be fair, Medtronic's size works against it. In fact, after decades of success, the company became bogged down by excessive bureaucracy and too many business lines. It has been around a long time, noting its incredible 48-year streak of annual dividend increases (two away from Dividend King status), so this isn't really a shocking development. But it does lead investors to ignore a stock, as they focus on more exciting, focused, and smaller businesses, like surgical robotics pioneer Intuitive Surgical (ISRG -4.51%).
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What's notable is that Medtronic has made strategic shifts to regain its growth mojo. That's included exiting less desirable businesses and investing in new technology. For example, it spun off its diabetes business, which was growing quickly but wasn't particularly profitable. And it recently launched its Hugo surgical robot in the U.S. market, taking on Intuitive Surgical, a company that gets a lot more attention on Wall Street. While Hugo is just one of many new products that Medtronic has in the works, it highlights Medtronic's ability to develop cutting-edge technology in the medical device space.
In fact, the changes the company made allowed it to report its highest annual revenue growth in a decade in fiscal 2026. In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, the company's revenues jumped 13.7%, with earnings coming in above guidance. In fact, management was so confident about the future that it increased its full-year guidance for fiscal 2027 after just one quarter.
NYSE: MDT
Key Data Points
That's not to suggest that Medtronic will suddenly become a growth stock. But the tide appears to have turned. It is no longer a business working through a turnaround; it looks like one that has passed an important inflection point. Now add in a well-above-market dividend yield, and even conservative dividend investors should probably give this medical device giant a second look.
Wall Street is starting to wake up to Medtronic
That said, Medtronic's stock has risen 15% over the past three months, as of this writing. Investors are starting to notice the improvement in the business. But the stock is still 30% below its 2021 high, suggesting there's more recovery room ahead. But don't wait too long, or you may miss the opportunity to buy this industry-leading company while it is still offering a historically high yield.
