Medtronic shares gain after CFO interview

An exclusive interview on April 27 with Medtronic CFO Gary Ellis kicked off a week-long rally in shares of the world’s largest medical device maker. Ellis told Reuters the company feels good about its 2009 sales guidance and has maintained average selling prices despite the recession, and he gave growth forecasts for its markets. Dow Jones picked up the headlines and credited Reuters. Medtronic’s stock ended the week up 9.2 percent, compared with a gain of 1.6 percent for the S&P medical equipment index.