Annual Study Shows Changing Competitive Landscape: Over 70% of the
Top 20 Companies are New in 2009
UTEK Corporation (NYSE-AMEX: UTK) (LSE-AIM: UTK), a leading innovation
services company, and The wRatings Corporation, an independent stock
research firm, announced today the results of their annual Most
Competitive Companies in Health Care Study. The study was conducted in a
collaborative effort between The wRatings Corporation and Strategos, a
strategic innovation consulting division of UTEK. Major highlights from
the study include Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) moving from #3 to #1 in
2009, followed by Alcon (NYSE: ACL) and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). The
largest jump was Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH), rising from #83 to #12.
Scores from wRatings are a blend of how well companies meet customer
expectations while also generating economic profit. The quarterly survey
is conducted with a representative sample of US consumers and business
executives. The firm has been conducting the surveys since 1999.
Sometimes recessions have a cleansing effect on companies. The current
recession has jolted health care in a positive direction in terms of
economic profit. Health care companies have doubled their return on
capital from 5.1% in 2003 to 10.8% in 2009, on a trailing twelve month
basis.
Gary A. Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of wRatings, said,
“Sector rotation into many of these safety stocks occurred a while ago.
But in stark contrast to other sectors, pricing power with health care
customers remains on the upswing in 2009. So in these uncertain times,
several health care stocks are on track to continued growth. No doubt
this sector will emerge from the recession stronger than before.”
Peter Skarzynski, Managing Director of Strategos and Author of Innovation
to the Core (HBSP, 2008), notes, “As we saw newcomers challenge and
overtake incumbents, we are reminded that R&D spending alone is no
assurance for winning. Companies that can successfully challenge
industry orthodoxies and innovate at the level of the business model
have the best chance of thriving in this turbulent time.”
All 111 companies in the study received a W Score™, where 100 equals the
most competitive nationally.
|
HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
|
|
2009 RANK
|
|
2008 RANK
|
|
COMPANY
|
|
W SCORE™
|
|
Biotechnology
|
|
1
|
|
3
|
|
Genentech (NYSE: DNA)
|
|
72.30
|
|
Drug Retail
|
|
1
|
|
2
|
|
Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)
|
|
72.45
|
|
HC Distributors
|
|
1
|
|
3
|
|
Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH)
|
|
80.70
|
|
HC Equipment
|
|
1
|
|
10
|
|
Varian Medical (NYSE: VAR)
|
|
90.05
|
|
HC Facilities
|
|
1
|
|
3
|
|
Health Mgmt. Assoc. (NYSE: HMA)
|
|
53.60
|
|
HC Information
|
|
1
|
|
1
|
|
IMS Health (NYSE: RX)
|
|
72.50
|
|
HC Services
|
|
1
|
|
4
|
|
Covance Inc. (NYSE: CVD)
|
|
83.45
|
|
HC Suppliers
|
|
1
|
|
2
|
|
Alcon Inc. (NYSE: ACL)
|
|
92.70
|
|
Pharmaceutical OTC (Over The Counter)
|
|
1
|
|
5
|
|
GlaxoSmithKline OTC (NYSE: GSK)
|
|
83.55
|
|
Pharmaceutical Rx (Prescription)
|
|
1
|
|
2
|
|
J&J Rx (NYSE: JNJ)
|
|
92.85
|
The annual report and Top 20 list is available at www.strategos.com
or www.wratings.com/projections.php?s=925hc.
Full data is available to wRatings subscribers.
About UTEK Corporation
UTEK® is a leading innovation services company. UTEK’s
services enable clients to become stronger innovators, rapidly source
externally developed technologies, create value from their intellectual
property and gain foresight into marketplace and technology developments
that affect their business. Strategos is a strategic innovation
consulting division of UTEK. Strategos helps clients innovate and grow
by bringing innovation to their core business and organization. UTEK is
a business development company. For more information about UTEK and
Strategos, please visit its websites at www.utekcorp.com
and www.strategos.com.
About The wRatings Corporation
The wRatings Corporation is an independent stock research firm based in
metro Washington, DC. The company was founded by Harvard Business Review
author and persuasion expert, Gary A. Williams. He and his team
continually study consumer and executive buying behavior to project the
future earnings performance of companies. Since 1999, their original set
of leading indicators uses a common framework to measure the competitive
strength of companies. For more information about wRatings, please visit
its website at www.wRatings.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking
statements." These forward-looking statements can generally be
identified as such because the context of the statement will include
words, such as UTEK "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or
words of similar import. Such forward-looking statements are subject to
certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to
differ materially from those currently anticipated. These factors are
not exhaustive. New factors, risks and uncertainties may emerge from
time to time that may affect the forward-looking statements made herein.
These forward-looking statements are only made as of the date of this
press release and UTEK does not undertake any obligation to publicly
update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or
circumstances. This press release (when filed) will be available on the
Company’s website www.utekcorp.com.
UTEK Corporation
Lesley Cohen, 202-295-6770
lcohen@hrosepr.com
or
The
wRatings Company
Beth Green, 703-788-6532
beth.green@wratings.com