Avantor, Inc. AVTR recently announced that it has closed the divestiture of its clinical services business to Audax Private Equity (Audax)  in a transaction valued at approximately $650 million.

The transaction not only strengthens AVTR’s balance sheet and reduces interest expenses but also enables the company to sharpen its focus on strategic growth opportunities in its lab and production businesses.

Likely Trend of AVTR Stock Following the News

Following the announcement, shares of the company closed flat at $24.73 on Friday.

In the year-to-date period, AVTR shares have rallied 8.3% against the industry’s decline of 2.5%. The S&P 500 increased 22.9% in the same time frame.

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More on AVTR’s Deal With Audax

In August, AVTR signed a definitive agreement to divest its clinical services business, including kitting, biorepository, and related equipment and ancillaries (collectively known as Clinical Services), to Audax.

Avantor expects the transaction to result in approximately $500 million in after-tax cash proceeds and a reduction of approximately $50 million in capitalized leases.  Management intends to utilize the after-tax proceeds for debt paydown, which will likely strengthen the company's balance sheet and reduce interest expenses.

Per management, the agreement is an important step for Avantor as it continues to optimize its portfolio in line with its new operating model. The deal is expected to accelerate its ongoing business transformation and sharpen the company’s strategic focus.

Favorable Industry Prospects for AVTR

Per a report by Future Market Insights, the global analytical laboratory service market is estimated to be $472.6 million in 2024 and is projected to be worth $1,375 million by 2034 at a CAGR of 11.3%. Factors like the growing popularity of point-of-care testing and the increasing adoption of smart lab infrastructure with sensor networks are likely to drive the market.

Given the market potential, the latest divestiture will likely provide a significant impetus to Avantor’s lab and production businesses.

AVTR’s Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

AVTR carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present.

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Boston Scientific BSX, DaVita DVA and Masimo MASI. Each stock presently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Boston Scientific’s shares have gained 70.4% in the past year. Estimates for the company’s earnings per share (EPS) have remained constant at $2.40 for 2024 and $2.71 for 2025 in the past 30 days. BSX’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 7.2%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of 6.9%.