Healthcare Conference Update (JNJ, BSX, ATEC, BAX, ZOLL)

RBC Capital Markets will be hosting a Healthcare Conference at the New York Palace Hotel. The conference, which will last for two days, will kick off on March 2. The conference will include the companies that RBC Capital Markets covers in the healthcare sector, and additionally some biotechnology, pharmaceutical, facility, and service companies that are outside its coverage.

The conference will include industry panel discussions, corporate presentations, one-on-one meetings, and thoughts from Tommy Thompson, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services, according to the update provided by RBC Capital Markets.

The conference will include presentations from Alphatec Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATEC), ATS Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATSI), Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE: BAX), Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX), Edward Lifesciences Corp. (NYSE: EW), Greatbatch, Inc. (NYSE: GB), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Vascular Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: VASC), ZOLL Medical Corporation (NASDAQ: ZOLL), C. R. BARD, Inc. (NYSE: BCR), Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZMH), Covidien Ltd. (NYSE: COV), and Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp. (NASDAW: IART).

The conference will be strtaed by a presentation from Boston Scientific CEO Ray Elliott. This will be the first time Elliott will make public comments since the fourth-quarter earnings call of the company. The company has recently provided EPS guidance of $0.62-$0.72 for 2010, which is below the consensus of $0.84.

Johnson & Johnson, which will be presenting at the conference, has successfully navigated a difficult 2009, according to RBC Capital Markets. RBC Capital Markets believes that the company is better positioned to return to growth in 2010.