metamorworks
Several medtech companies are expected to release financial updates or other corporate news this coming week when the huge annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference convenes in San Francisco.
Canaccord Genuity said in a recent note that it is expecting ten of the companies it covers in the diagnostics and tools space to be making presentations this week: 10x Genomics (TXG), Exact Sciences (NASDAQ:EXAS), Guardant Health (NASDAQ:GH), Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN), Natera (NTRA), Pacific Biosciences (NASDAQ:PACB), NanoString Technologies (NASDAQ:NSTG), Akoya Biosciences (NASDAQ:AKYA) and Quanterix (NASDAQ:QTRX).
Among the companies slated to present this week, Akoya, Exact Sciences, NanoString and Pacific Biosciences are seen as most likely to preannounce preliminary Q4 2023 financial results, with Quanterix, Illumina and Guardant also viewed as possibilities. Unlikely to preannounce are 10x Genomics and Natera, Canaccord said.
The investment firm doesn’t think any of those companies will roll out 2024 guidance this week. It also doesn’t see Illumina offering any details on the recent departure of its COO or Grail divestiture. It does, however, see Akoya announcing “at least one notable non-results development.”
Canaccord said that commentary from Pacific Biosciences on Revio orders and utilization would be “highly important,” while commentary from Guardant on its FDA Advisory Committee meeting for Shield “would be meaningful.” As for NanoString, “updates on spatial litigation impact and potential cash needs are critical.”
Other companies that could possibly issue updates this week are Biodesix (BDX), Castle Biosciences (CSTL), Exagen (XGN), Lucid Diagnostics (LUCD), Olink (OLK), SomaLogic (SLGC) and Quantum-Si (QSI), Canaccord added.
Needham, meanwhile, said it expects at least 13 of the 45 companies its covers medtech and diagnostics space to pre-announce preliminary Q4 earnings by mid-January. The 13 companies are Alphatec (ATEC), AtriCure (ATRC), Axonics (AXNX), Hologic (HOLX), InMode (INMD), Inogen (INGN), Masimo (MASI), OrthoPediatrics (KIDS), Paragon 28 (FNA), Personalis (PSNL), RxSight (RXST), SI-BONE (SIBN) and STAAR Surgical (STAA).
Two other companies, Dentsply Sirona (XRAY) and Sight Sciences (SGHT) could also preannounce their preliminary Q4 earnings, Needham added.
During the January conference season, Needham sees Alphatec and Hologic shares as most likely to overperform, while Masimo shares are the most likely to underperform due to their Q4 preannouncements and/or 2024 guidance.
For Alphatec, Needham sees updates on competitive rep hires, the durability of PTP’s strength and its halo effect on the company’s broader portfolio, and the company’s ability to continue improving profitability as the three top topics that investors will focus on moving into 2024.
For Hologic, it sees the key topics as being updates on the company’s Breast Health business, diagnostics growth drivers such as Panther utilization, and uses of cash, such as stock buybacks versus M&A.
As for Masimo, Needham expects key topics for discussion will be any updates on new consumer health product launches; updates on sensor delays, sensor utilization in 2024 and capital demand; and the company’s ability to increase gross and operating margins and sources of leverage.
On the sector level, Needham said it expects macro topics to dominate conference discussions this year, including inflation, supply chains, healthcare staffing, currency impacts, capital spending, the economic outlook, GLP-1 weight loss drugs, and the economic situation in China.
