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Investing.com -- Shares of Smith & Nephew (LON:SN) PLC surged over 8% on Tuesday following stronger-than-expected financial results.
Smith & Nephew’s fourth-quarter sales grew by 2% more than consensus estimates, with organic sales growth hitting 8.3%, outpacing expectations.
The company’s full-year sales for 2024 came in at $5.81 billion, marking a 1% beat against projections, while trading profit also exceeded forecasts by 2%.
The London-listed medical device maker, known for its orthopedic implants, sports medicine products, and advanced wound management solutions, saw gains across its key business divisions.
The orthopedics segment delivered organic growth of 6%, supported by momentum in Trauma & Extremities and Other Reconstruction.
Knee implant sales improved, particularly in the U.S. market, though China remained weak. Hips maintained steady growth at 4.7%.
The Sports Medicine & ENT division grew 7.8% organically, driven by strong ENT sales and continued momentum in Arthroscopic Enabling Technologies.
Despite ongoing challenges in China, Joint Repair saw a sequential rebound, growing 5.3% in Q4 compared to 0.1% in Q3.
Advanced Wound Management outperformed expectations with 12.2% organic growth, driven by robust gains in Bioactives and Devices, offsetting moderate growth in Wound Care.
Investors were encouraged by the company’s 2025 outlook, which targets underlying revenue growth of around 5% and a trading profit margin expansion to 19%-20%.
While the first quarter may see softer growth due to China headwinds and a reduced number of trading days, the company anticipates acceleration later in the year.
The company reaffirmed its margin target, despite continued China-related challenges and slower-than-expected reductions in input costs.
Jefferies analysts see the recent appointment of a new CFO as a potential catalyst for positive change at Smith & Nephew.
They anticipate this could lead to stricter cost management, the resumption of share buybacks, and additional operational efficiencies by 2027.