Boston Scientific BSX continues to expand its operations outside the United States, supported by a diversified portfolio and strong commercial execution. The company’s international business remains a key long-term growth driver, supported by new product approvals, ecosystem expansion and continued penetration in high-growth APAC markets.
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), operational sales grew 1% in the first quarter of 2026. Growth in the quarter was driven by FARAPULSE, coronary and vascular therapies and Neuromod. Management expects sales in this region to improve with the annualization of the ACURATE discontinuation in the second quarter and ongoing momentum from FARAPULSE, WATCHMAN and other key products.
In the Asia Pacific region, operational sales increased 12% in the first quarter, driven by double-digit growth in Japan and China. Japan’s performance was supported by its differentiated PFA ecosystem, including OPAL, FARAVIEW, and FARAPULSE, along with strong adoption of WATCHMAN FLX Pro.
China also delivered robust growth despite VBP-related impacts, led by the interventional cardiology portfolio, particularly imaging technologies. Progress toward FARAPULSE goals remains steady in a competitive Chinese market, supported by NMPA approval of the OPAL HDx mapping system and the continued expansion of the PFA platform with FARAVIEW.
Peer Update
In the first quarter of 2026, Stryker SYK reported international organic sales growth of 3.9%, outperforming its U.S. growth of 1.9%, despite a significant cyber incident that disrupted operations globally. SYK has built much of its international expansion over the past decade on Europe, where the company gained significant market share through products such as Mako robotic systems, trauma devices and advanced imaging technologies.
Japan has also emerged as one of Stryker’s fastest-growing markets outside the United States. In addition, Stryker highlighted accelerating momentum in India, Korea, East Asia, and the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, where healthcare infrastructure investment is increasing rapidly.
In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Medtronic MDT delivered balanced international revenue growth, including high-single-digit growth in Western Europe and mid-single-digit growth across the United States and Japan. The company also posted low-single-digit growth in China while navigating ongoing but manageable volume-based procurement (VBP) pressures in select businesses.
The Structural Heart business delivered a stronger quarter internationally and continued gaining share in Europe. The Diabetes unit also recorded solid performance across international markets. In January 2026, Medtronic’s Affera Sphere-360 catheter received the CE Mark approval in Europe, with commercialization expected to begin shortly.
BSX Stock Price Performance
Shares of Boston Scientific have lost 48.5% over the past year compared with the industry’s decline of 30.2%. The S&P 500 composite has grown 30.1% in the same period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Boston Scientific’s Valuation
From a valuation standpoint, BSX trades at a forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio (P/S) of 3.52X, above the industry median of 3.03X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BSX Stock Consensus Estimate Trend
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BSX’s 2026 earnings has moved south 2% over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BSX stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX): Free Stock Analysis Report
Medtronic PLC (MDT): Free Stock Analysis Report
Stryker Corporation (SYK): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).