Medtronic PLC (MDT) is scheduled to report its fiscal first-quarter financial results on Thursday after the markets close. The consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters call for $1.01 in earnings per share (EPS) on $7.05 billion in revenue. In the same period of the previous year, the company posted EPS of $1.05 and $4.27 billion.

The company is now based in Ireland after the gigantic merger with Covidien, which many on Wall Street see as historic, probably one of the largest in the medtech industry. The merger led to the creation of a unique company that combines the extensive and innovative abilities of both Medtronic and Covidien. It has over 85,000 employees in more than 160 countries and annual revenues of $27.4 billion in 2014. Medtronic’s three fundamental strategies are therapy innovation, globalization and economic value.

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In April, Medtronic announced the start of a new feasibility study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Valiant Mona LSA branch thoracic stent graft system, an investigational medical device designed to enable a completely endovascular solution for aortic aneurysms encroaching on the left subclavian artery.

A few analysts weighed in on Medtronic ahead of earnings:

• Cowen has an Outperform rating and a $90 price target.

• BTIG Research reiterated a Buy rating with an $89 price target.

• Wedbush reiterated a Neutral rating with a $79 price target.

• Credit Suisse reiterated a Buy rating.

So far on the year, Medtronic is barely in the red, with shares down 2.8%, while in the past 52 weeks shares are up 10.8%.

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Shares of Medtronic were up about 2% at $70.90 on Wednesday morning. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $87.03 and a 52-week trading range of $55.54 to $79.50.

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