Some Thoughts On JNJ and Abbott Labs

Some Thoughts On JNJ and Abbott Labs

Some Thoughts On JNJ and Abbott Labs
  • It seems that 2007 should be a brighter year for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE JNJ).  In 2006 the company faced major drug expirations which dampened revenue growth.
  • I really like the Pfizer’s (PFE) consumer business acquisition. Despite having a fairly good product line, Pfizer Inc was a pharmaceutical company that happened to have consumer products which came with the Warner Lambert acquisition. JNJ on the other hand has a culture of running diverse healthcare and consumer businesses.
  • It reminds me of 3M Company (NYSE MMM), as there is a synergy between different operating units as they share their R&D findings.
  • JNJ has a greater global consumer distribution network than Pfizer, therefore, it will be able to increase sales of PFE’s consumer unit by taking the products to places that they’ve not gone before (sounds Star Treckish, doesn’t it?)
  • Abbott Laboratories (ABT) received an incredible price (34 times operating earnings) for its diagnostic unit that was sold to General Electric (NYSE GE) (great job!).
  • I always looked at ABT as a mini-JNJ; it is a diversified healthcare company which is not heavily dependent on blockbusters. The company had a good quarter and should have a good next year. It is trading at about 18x earnings, higher valuation than JNJ’s 15x earnings, but it should have a bit higher growth rate.

Please read the following important disclosure here.

Related Articles

Challenging Investment Rules and Key Investor Traits

Challenging Investment Rules and Key Investor Traits

What’s a famous investment rule I don’t agree with? Which key characteristics should a good investor have?
The Infinite Game in Telecom

The Infinite Game in Telecom

CHTR, just like Comcast, showed only a very slight decline in broadband customers in the quarter. Most of the decline came from the US government removing subsidies for rural customers.
The Hidden Risk in “Religion” Stocks

The Hidden Risk in “Religion” Stocks 

A basic property of religion is that the believer takes a leap of faith: to believe without expecting proof.
The Best and Worst Investment Decisions Ive Made

The Best and Worst Investment Decisions I’ve Made

I’m going to share stories about my best and worst investment decisions. But don’t worry, this isn’t just a brag-and-cringe session about making or losing money.

Leave a Comment