NEW YORK, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Equity Research Services announced today its positive view on the new Medicare medical device reimbursement rules. Medicare released new rules governing reimbursements to hospitals for certain medical devices, under which no device category will experience a cut in excess of 5.4%. We think the decisions were particularly beneficial to makers of implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac stents, where original proposals included cuts of up to 24% and 28%, respectively. We are keeping our "Strong Buy" opinion on Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ; $62.68, 5-STARS), "Buy" opinions on St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ; $37.40, 4-STARS), Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT; $47.50, 4-STARS) and Medtronic (NYSE: MDT; $50.50, 4-STARS), and a "Hold" opinion on Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX; $17.30, 3-STARS). Robert Gold Medical Devices Analyst Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services The analyst quoted above is a Standard & Poor's Equity Analyst. He has no affiliation with any company he covers. He has no ownership interest in any company he covers. Standard & Poor's other affiliates may provide services to the companies that are the subject of this report. About Standard & Poor's Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE:MHP), is the world's foremost provider of financial market intelligence, including independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With approximately 7,500 employees, including wholly owned affiliates, located in 21 countries, Standard & Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit http://www.standardandpoors.com/ About Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services As the world's largest producer of independent equity research, over 1,000 institutions license Standard & Poor's research for their investors and advisors, including 19 of the top 20 securities firms, 13 of the top 20 banks, and 11 of the top 20 life insurance companies. Standard & Poor's team of 120 experienced U.S., European and Asian equity analysts use a fundamental, bottom-up approach to assess a global universe of approximately 2,000 equities across more than 120 industries worldwide. Follow Standard & Poor's equity analysts' US market commentary each day at http://www.equityresearch.standardandpoors.com/. The equity research reports and recommendations provided by Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services are performed separately from any other analytic activity of Standard & Poor's. Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services has no access to non-public information received by other units of Standard & Poor's. Standard & Poor's does not trade on its own account. The analytical and ethical conduct of Standard & Poor's equity analysts is governed by the firm's Research Objectivity Policy, a copy of which may also be found at http://www.standardandpoors.com/. DATASOURCE: Standard & Poor's CONTACT: Edward Sweeney, Communications, +1-212-438-6634 Web site: http://www.standardandpoors.com/

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