Omnicell's Higher Investments Drive Costs, Competition Rife

On Nov 2, we issued an updated research report on Mountain View, CA-based Omnicell Inc. (NASDAQ:OMCL) . The company develops and markets end-to-end automation solutions for the medication use process.

Omnicell exited third-quarter 2017 on a mixed note with earnings beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate and revenues missing the same. Also, weak gross margin scenario is a matter of concern. We believe the company’s strategies including portfolio expansion, acquisitions and penetration into the medication adherence market continue to drive expenses. Meanwhile, expenses related to the recently launched XT series have been exerting pressure on the bottom line.

Omnicell’s lowering of the high end of the full-year 2017 adjusted revenue guidance is reflective of the fact that the overall weakness will continue. A tough competitive landscape also acts as a dampener.

Over the last three months, Omnicell’s shares have been trading below the broader industry. As per the latest share price movement, the stock has lost 1%, significantly underperforming the broader industry’s addition of 2.9%.

On a positive note, the year-over-year increase in earnings and revenues was impressive. The company witnessed balanced growth across all business lines in the quarter. We are encouraged to note that the company is working on product innovation through R&D. Over the recent past, Omnicell has been observed to gain consistently from series of product launches (the latest being XT Series Automated Supply Dispensing system) and strategic partnerships.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Omnicell has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

A few better-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector are PetMed Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETS) , Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ:LMNX) and Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) . Notably, PetMed and Luminex sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Intuitive Surgical carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

PetMed has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 10%. The stock has rallied roughly 87.6% over the last year.

Luminex has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 16.3%. The stock has gained 18% in the last year.

Intuitive Surgical has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 9.1%. The stock has gained 67.6% last year.

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