I have been researching various companies in the field of medical supplies and devices in recent days given that many companies in the sector have yet to fully participate in the recent stock market rally and trade at lower valuations than they have historically. While my circle of competence does not fully encompass this field in terms of evaluating investment candidates, that does not stop me from being fascinated by the amazing advances these companies are making from a medical perspective.

One of the companies I have been reading about is Medtronic, Inc. which is engaged in the development of various types of implantable medical devices.  I happened to find the video appearing below in which CNBC interviews CEO Bill Hawkins at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in New Orleans which is taking place this week.

Diabetes has long been a major problem in the United States and the situation is only going to get worse with the growing obesity epidemic.  With health care costs under intense scrutiny, one has to wonder whether companies like Medtronic will be viewed as part of the solution or if their products will be viewed as an expensive line item.  While these type of devices are almost never inexpensive, they need to be weighed against the human and financial misery that comes from the side effects of diabetes when left poorly treated.

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Disclosure:  The author does not own any shares in Medtronic, Inc. at the time of this writing and makes no statement regarding the merits of the company as an investment.