Which Is a Better Investment, LivaNova PLC or Merit Medical Systems Inc Stock?

By AAII Staff
March 27, 2026
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc.

LivaNova PLC, a medical technology company, designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells products, therapies, and services in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Portugal, Finland, Denmark, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Cardiopulmonary and Neuromodulation. The Cardiopulmonary segment provides cardiopulmonary products, including heart-lung machines, oxygenators, autotransfusion systems, perfusion tubing systems, cannulae, and other related accessories, as well as services related products. The Neuromodulation segment offers VNS Therapy System, an implantable pulse generator and connective lead that stimulates the vagus nerve, surgical equipment to assist with the implant procedure, and equipment and instruction manuals; and devices that deliver neuromodulation therapy for treating drug-resistant epilepsy and difficult-to-treat depression. This segment also includes the development and clinical testing of LivaNova’s aura6000 system for treating obstructive sleep apnea. It serves perfusionists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, and other healthcare professionals, hospitals, and other medical institutions and healthcare providers. The company sells its medical devices through a combination of direct sales representatives, agents, and independent distributors. LivaNova PLC was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets single-use medical products for interventional, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures in the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Cardiovascular and Endoscopy. The company offers micropuncture kits, angiographic needles, sheaths, guide wires, and safety products; peripheral intervention products comprising angiography, drainage, delivery systems, and embolotherapy products; oncology products, such as soft tissue biopsy products and accessories; cardiac intervention products consisting of cardiac access, angiography, electrophysiology and cardiac rhythm management, fluid management, hemodynamic monitoring, hemostasis, and intervention products; and spine products, including vertebral augmentation, radiofrequency ablation, and bone biopsy systems. It also provides custom procedural solutions, including critical care products, syringes, manifold kits, and trays and packs; coating services for medical tubes and wires; and sensor components for microelectromechanical systems. In addition, the company offers gastroenterology products, such as esophageal stents, cryoballoon and inflation devices, gauges, and balloon dilators; pulmonary products consisting of laser-cut tracheobronchial stents, and over-the-wire and direct visualization delivery systems; and kits and accessories for endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures. It sells its products to hospitals, alternate site-based physicians, technicians, and nurses through direct sales force, independent distributors, original equipment manufacturer partners, and custom procedure tray manufacturers. The company exports its products to Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in South Jordan, Utah.

Latest Health Care Equipment & Supplies and LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Stock News

As of March 26, 2026, LivaNova PLC had a $3.5 billion market capitalization, compared to the Health Care Equipment & Supplies median of $288.3 million. LivaNova PLC’s stock is down 0.1% in 2026, down 1.2% in the previous five trading days and up 59.44% in the past year.

Currently, LivaNova PLC does not have a price-earnings ratio. LivaNova PLC’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.4 billion with a -17.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 12.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $4.209 per share for the current fiscal year. LivaNova PLC does not currently pay a dividend.

As of March 26, 2026, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. had a $4.1 billion market cap, putting it in the 66th percentile of all stocks. Merit Medical Systems, Inc.’s stock is down 21.4% in 2026, up 3.8% in the previous five trading days and down 33.83% in the past year.

Currently, Merit Medical Systems, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 32.5. Merit Medical Systems, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.5 billion with a 8.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 10.9%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $4.062 per share for the current fiscal year. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc. Stock Value Grades

Company Ticker Value
LivaNova PLC LIVN D
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. MMSI D

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

LivaNova PLC has a Value Score of 36, which is Expensive. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a Value Score of 27, which is Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems or Inc. has a high enough value grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolio. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to value.

LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
LivaNova PLC LIVN B
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. MMSI F

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

LivaNova PLC has a Momentum Score of 74, which is Strong. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 18, which is Very Weak.

The Momentum Grade Winner: LivaNova PLC

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, LivaNova PLC is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Merit Medical Systems, Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, LivaNova PLC could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
LivaNova PLC LIVN B
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. MMSI B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

LivaNova PLC has a Earnings Estimate Score of 70, which is Positive. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 67, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, both LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc. have a grade of B. For those focusing solely on a company’s estimate revisions, other financial metrics will need to be evaluated to determine whether LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems or Inc. is a better fit.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc. Grades

In addition to Value, Estimate Revisions and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Quality.

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Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems or Inc. Stock?

Overall, LivaNova PLC stock has a Value Score of 36, Momentum Score of 74 and Estimate Revisions Score of 70.

Merit Medical Systems, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 27, Momentum Score of 18 and Estimate Revisions Score of 67.

Comparing LivaNova PLC, Merit Medical Systems and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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