What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after the U.S. Commerce Department initiated a national security investigation into medical equipment and devices, raising concerns about potential tariffs. 

The probe, conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, examines whether imports of items like syringes, infusion pumps, and surgical instruments pose a national security risk. Such investigations can pave the way for new import duties, creating a significant overhang for the sector. The goal of potential tariffs would be to boost domestic manufacturing by increasing the cost of foreign goods. This development has introduced new uncertainty for the industry, leading to broad-based declines in the stocks of major manufacturers, including Baxter International and GE HealthCare, as investors weigh the potential impact on supply chains and costs.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Solventum (NYSE: SOLV) fell 2.7%. Is now the time to buy Solventum? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• CONMED (NYSE: CNMD) fell 6.9%. Is now the time to buy CONMED? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
• STERIS (NYSE: STE) fell 3%. Is now the time to buy STERIS? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

Zooming In On CONMED (CNMD)

CONMED’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 11 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 2 months ago when the stock gained 3.8% on the news that a new trade agreement between the United States and Japan spurred a broad market rally. 

The positive sentiment swept across markets after it was announced the U.S. and Japan had reached a new trade deal. The agreement included a 15% tariff on Japanese goods imported into the U.S. and a commitment from Japan to invest $550 billion in the U.S. and open its markets to American cars and agricultural products. This development boosted investor confidence and contributed to a widespread rally, lifting stocks across many sectors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both posted gains, creating a favorable environment that likely benefited individual stocks.

CONMED is down 32.4% since the beginning of the year, and at $45.52 per share, it is trading 41.3% below its 52-week high of $77.54 from November 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of CONMED’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $591.59.

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