CR Bard (BCR) traces its roots to 1907, when Charles Russell Bard, an American importer of French silks, began importing Gomenol in New York City. Gomenol was commonly used in Europe at that time, and Mr. Bard used it to treat his discomfort from tuberculosis.

Source: CR Bard Investor Relations

By 1923, CR Bard was incorporated. It would soon develop the first balloon catheter, and slowly added more products to its portfolio. Over the course of its more than 100 years in existence, CR Bard has been a pioneer in disposable medical supplies.

Because it is so stable, CR Bard has rewarded shareholders with consistent dividend increases for a very long time.

The company is one of only 50 Dividend Aristocrats – stocks with 25+ years of consecutive dividend increases.CR Bard has increased its dividend an impressive 45 years in a row.You can see a list of all Dividend Aristocrats here.

Keep reading this article to learn more about the investment prospects of CR Bard.

Business Overview

CR Bard is a medical supply. It operates in four main segments, each of which plays an important role:

CR Bard has a diversified customer base. It sells its products to a variety of customers, which include hospitals, individual health professionals, extended care facilities, and more.

Plus, these businesses have each generated at least 3% compound annual revenue growth over the past five years. Over the past decade, CR Bard has increased earnings-per-share by 10.7% per year. Its earnings-per-share nearly tripled from 2006-2015.

Despite a difficult operating climate this year, the company continues to perform well. Growth for multi-nationals like CR Bard is being weighed down by the strong U.S. dollar. But CR Bard still posts solid growth in its key fundamental metrics.

Over the first nine months of 2016, CR Bard grew total sales 8% to $2.45 billion. All four operating segments generated revenue growth over this period. In constant currency, the urology, and surgical specialties businesses were the best performers. They each grew sales by 13% in the first three-quarters, year over year.