And the Beat Goes On

Daryl Hall once sang;

"Do what you want to do, but be what you are, do you believe in hot cars, leather bars and movie stars, is that's what is real, payin' dues, earth shoes, Chicago blues, is that how you feel?  You can't change but you can't conceal, what's deep inside you, it's your game, your deal........"

Yes fellow bloggers on February 23rd, Nuvasive allowed the investment community to see its hand for fiscal 2011.  TSB marvels at how sterile and controlled these analysts' spoon feeding sessions really are, it makes the operating room look like a cleaning room.  What surfaced is the old Aztec-Two Step, whereas NuVa made a modest forecast of 10-12% growth for the upcoming season with the intent of achieving $525 to $535 million in sales. The Bear tempered his exuberance based on a reality check that the days of wine and roses may be coming to an end in lumbar spine, yet felt that NuVa can continue to build on the back of lumbar procedures.  The most interesting aspect was when he announced that NuVa's goal is to become a billion dollar company by riding XLiF all the way to the finish line.   Secretariat wasn't rode this hard.  Based on what was conveyed to the slavish followers that sit in on these calls, lumbar spine is going to take a hit attributed to the many denials that are beginning to surface around the country, yet NuVa continues to work with NASS and the insurance companies in addressing the benefits of emerging technologies in spinal surgery.  Not only does NuVa continue to grow revenue on the back of XLiF, they intend on riding the PCM cervical disc and their biologic products, unfortunately, this may not happen until 2012.

The most entertaining point in the call came when the Bear announced that NuVa saved the life of Bill Walton.  Though Bill once roamed the paint for the Portland Trail Blazers and San Diego Clippers in the NBA, he would probably have appreciated if the Bear had mentioned that he was an honorary member of the Grateful Dead.   It seems that until NuVa came into his life, wild Bill was in so much pain that he was ready to take his own life.  Bill will probably become a spokesman for the company, and every NBA player that needs back surgery will probably ask for the XLiF procedure.  So in closing it will be interesting to follow NuVa in its quest for the Holy Grail of $1 billion.  At $27 per share is NuVa a bargin, or will there be another adjustment?  TSB want to know what our readers think?  As Sonny and Cher use to sing, "and the beat goes on, the beat goes on, the drums keep pounding the rhythm's in my brain, la di da di de, la di, da, de, da."