Boston Scientific (BSX, Financial) has unveiled promising outcomes from its second phase of the ADVANTAGE AF clinical trial, evaluating the performance of the FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation System and the FARAPOINT PFA Catheter in treating patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. These results were shared at the PFA Live Case Summit in San Diego and published in the journal Circulation.
The study successfully met all pre-established safety and efficacy benchmarks. Notably, 73.4% of participants achieved freedom from atrial fibrillation (AF), atrial flutter (AFL), and atrial tachycardia, surpassing the target performance goal of 40%. The trial also reported a low adverse event rate of 2.4%, comfortably within the safety threshold of 12%. Importantly, there were no incidents of pulmonary vein stenosis, atrio-esophageal fistula, or phrenic nerve palsy.
Additionally, 81.0% of patients experienced no symptomatic recurrence of AF, an indicator defined by absence of arrhythmia, clinical interventions, or use of advanced anti-arrhythmic drugs. A substantial 71.6% of participants exhibited minimal atrial arrhythmia burden, which correlates with fewer clinical interventions and potential quality of life enhancements. Furthermore, 52% had no atrial arrhythmia events following the blanking period, and an impressive 96.4% of those treated with the FARAPOINT PFA Catheter had no AFL recurrence.
These findings highlight the potential of Boston Scientific's technology in advancing atrial fibrillation treatment, offering significant insights into its safety and effectiveness.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast
Based on the one-year price targets offered by 30 analysts, the average target price for Boston Scientific Corp (BSX, Financial) is $116.90 with a high estimate of $130.00 and a low estimate of $84.11. The average target implies an upside of 15.59% from the current price of $101.14. More detailed estimate data can be found on the Boston Scientific Corp (BSX) Forecast page.
Based on the consensus recommendation from 34 brokerage firms, Boston Scientific Corp's (BSX, Financial) average brokerage recommendation is currently 1.8, indicating "Outperform" status. The rating scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 signifies Strong Buy, and 5 denotes Sell.
Based on GuruFocus estimates, the estimated GF Value for Boston Scientific Corp (BSX, Financial) in one year is $76.89, suggesting a downside of 23.98% from the current price of $101.14. GF Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on the historical multiples the stock has traded at previously, as well as past business growth and the future estimates of the business' performance. More detailed data can be found on the Boston Scientific Corp (BSX) Summary page.
BSX Key Business Developments
Release Date: April 23, 2025
- Total Company Operational Sales Growth: 22% in Q1 2025.
- Organic Sales Growth: 18% in Q1 2025.
- Adjusted EPS: $0.75, a 34% increase, exceeding guidance range.
- Adjusted Operating Margin: 28.9% in Q1 2025.
- Consolidated Revenue: $4.663 billion, 20.9% reported growth.
- Adjusted Gross Margin: 71.5%, a 170-basis-point improvement.
- Free Cash Flow: $354 million in Q1 2025.
- Cash on Hand: $725 million as of March 31, 2025.
- Gross Debt Leverage Ratio: 2.2 times.
- Full-Year Organic Revenue Growth Guidance: Raised to 12% to 14%.
- Full-Year Adjusted EPS Guidance: $2.87 to $2.94, growth of 14% to 17%.
- Second-Quarter Organic Growth Guidance: 13% to 15%.
- Second-Quarter Adjusted EPS Guidance: $0.71 to $0.73.
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
- Boston Scientific Corp (BSX, Financial) reported a strong Q1 2025 with operational sales growth of 22% and organic sales growth of 18%, exceeding guidance.
- Adjusted EPS for Q1 2025 was $0.75, a 34% increase, surpassing the guidance range.
- The company raised its full-year 2025 organic growth guidance from 10%-12% to 12%-14%, reflecting strong performance in its cardiology portfolio.
- Electrophysiology sales grew 145%, making Boston Scientific the number two player globally in this segment.
- The company received credit rating upgrades to A- from both Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings, indicating strong financial health.
Negative Points
- Boston Scientific faces a $200 million tariff impact in 2025, primarily affecting the second half of the year.
- The Cardiac Rhythm Management segment showed only 1% growth, slightly below market expectations.
- The Urology segment experienced supply chain issues, leading to backorders and impacting growth.
- Foreign exchange headwinds negatively impacted Q1 2025 revenue by 130 basis points.
- The company anticipates a potential 200-300 basis point increase in its tax rate in 2026 due to the sunsetting of the TCJA.
