Covidien (FRA:6COP) Short-term investments

Covidien PLC formerly known as Covidien Ltd. was incorporated in Bermuda in 2000 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tyco International Ltd. In June 2009, Covidien plc announced that one of its subsidiaries has completed the acquisition of VNUS Medical Technologies, Inc. In September 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of Power Medical Interventions Inc. In November 2009, the Company completed the acquisition of Aspect Medical Systems Inc. The Company is engaged in the development, manufacture and sale of healthcare products for use in clinical and home settings. Its products are found in almost every hospital in the United States. Its mission is to create and deliver innovative healthcare solutions, developed in ethical collaboration with medical professionals. It operates through two segments: Medical Devices and Medical Supplies. The Medical Devices segment includes the development, manufacture and sale of endomechanical instruments, energy devices, soft tissue repair products, vascular products, oximetry and monitoring products, airway and ventilation products, and other medical products. The Medical Supplies segment includes the development, manufacture and sale of nursing care products, medical surgical products, SharpSafety products and original equipment manufacturer products. Competitors of Medical Devices segment include diversified healthcare companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Boston Scientific, Baxter and C.R. Bard. Its Nursing Care products include: Curity and Kerlix and Medical Surgical products include: Medi-Trace. The Company holds more than 13,000 patents and have over 10,500 patent applications pending in the United States and in certain other countries that relate to aspects of the technology used in many of its products. The Company is subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental protection and health and safety laws and regulations both within and outside the United States.