HOW TO PLAY IT By Jon D. Markman

The global pandemic forced health-care companies to be more agile and innovative. The best way to play this trend is Danaher. The Washington, D.C.–based conglomerate controls 20 healthcare and scientific businesses operating under a shared business strategy. Its subsidiary, Cepheid, won FDA approval in March 2020 for the first point-ofcare coronavirus test kit, with results ready in only 45 minutes. The innovation was heralded as a new phase of testing. Danaher executives estimated in January that 2021 sales would be approximately $29 billion, up more than 30% from a year ago. Based on sales momentum, shares could trade to $380 during the next 18 months, a gain of 46% from current levels Jon D. Markman is president of Markman Capital Insight and editor of Fast Forward Investing.