GE Unit Buys Novia Strategies To Boost Healthcare Offerings

GE Healthcare – a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) – recently announced that it acquired Novia Strategies, a 22-year-old healthcare consulting firm to expand its U.S. healthcare consulting business. The financials of the deal remain under wraps.

Originally known as InnoVia Health by Nancy Lakier in 1995, Novia Strategies is led by clinicians with expertise in helping organizations transform while delivering critical outcomes.

Per the acquisition, Novia Strategies will become part of GE Healthcare Camden Group. This operating unit provides advisory services across over 2,400 hospitals and health systems on critical issues such as redesigning care delivery, accelerating health system integration, succeeding with population health management and maximizing the use of resources.

The acquisition will help GE Healthcare become a leading provider of outcomes-based solutions and to assist healthcare organizations meet the various demands in the healthcare industry. Novia Strategies’ skills and expertise in the field will complement GE Healthcare Camden Group in various key areas.

This strategic acquisition reflects GE Healthcare Camden Group’s vision to be a leading transformation partner to renowned organisations in the healthcare industry. The inclusion of Novia Strategies will help GE Healthcare offer best-in-class, high performing health systems to its clients. This collaboration will enable it to further enhance its foothold in the healthcare industry.

Despite continuous initiatives to augment product offerings and strengthen foothold, General Electric has underperformed the Zacks categorized Diversified Operations industry over the last 30 days. It recorded an average loss of 10% compared with 2.8% decline of the industry.

However, we remain impressed with the inherent growth potential of the combined entity.

General Electric currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Some better-ranked stocks in the industry include Bunzl (LON:BNZL) plc (OTC:BZLFY) , 3M Company (NYSE:MMM) and Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE:HON) . All three carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

3M has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 9.7%. It surpassed estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 1.3%.

Honeywell has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 9.3%. It surpassed estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 2.0%.

Bunzl has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 3.2% and is currently trading at a forward P/E of 20.2x.

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