What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after worries over worsening trade relations with China were triggered by critical comments from President Donald Trump. 

The president's tone and the suggestion of canceling a meeting with President Xi caused a rapid sell-off in the market. The trade dispute flared up after China imposed export controls on rare earth minerals, which are critical components for high-tech manufacturing. The escalation of the trade war raises concerns about supply chain disruptions and increased costs for technology companies, which are heavily reliant on global trade, leading to a broad sell-off in the sector.

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:

• Surgical Equipment & Consumables - Specialty company Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART) fell 5.4%. Is now the time to buy Integra LifeSciences? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Medical Devices & Supplies - Specialty company Inspire Medical Systems (NYSE: INSP) fell 5.3%. Is now the time to buy Inspire Medical Systems? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Medical Devices & Supplies - Cardiology, Neurology, Vascular company Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ: MMSI) fell 4.2%. Is now the time to buy Merit Medical Systems? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Medical Devices & Supplies - Specialty company Enovis (NYSE: ENOV) fell 4.8%. Is now the time to buy Enovis? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Surgical Equipment & Consumables - Diversified company CONMED (NYSE: CNMD) fell 4.2%. Is now the time to buy CONMED? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Integra LifeSciences (IART)

Integra LifeSciences’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 32 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 previous big move we wrote about was 10 days ago when the stock gained 5.5% on the news that reports revealed a potential drug-pricing agreement between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry. 

The Trump administration is advancing its “Most Favored Nation” initiative, which aims to lower prescription drug costs for Americans. This policy would tie the prices of medications in the U.S. to the lowest costs paid by other wealthy nations. As part of this push, Pfizer has reportedly entered into an agreement to voluntarily sell its medications through Medicaid at these reduced prices. The move comes as the administration intensifies pressure on drugmakers to make prices more affordable. While pricing controls can often be a headwind, the market's positive reaction suggests that investors may see this voluntary agreement as a way to resolve regulatory uncertainty, providing a clearer path forward for the industry.

Integra LifeSciences is down 42.1% since the beginning of the year, and at $13.34 per share, it is trading 50.1% below its 52-week high of $26.70 from November 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Integra LifeSciences’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $270.38.

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