wRatings and UTEK Corporation’s Strategos Identify Most Competitive Health Care Companies

UTEK Corporation (NYSE-AMEX: UTK) (LSE-AIM: UTK), a leading innovation services company, and The wRatings Corporation, an independent stock research firm, announced today the results of their annual Most Competitive Companies in Health Care Study. The study was conducted in a collaborative effort between The wRatings Corporation and Strategos, a strategic innovation consulting division of UTEK. Major highlights from the study include Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) moving from #3 to #1 in 2009, followed by Alcon (NYSE: ACL) and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). The largest jump was Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH), rising from #83 to #12.

Scores from wRatings are a blend of how well companies meet customer expectations while also generating economic profit. The quarterly survey is conducted with a representative sample of US consumers and business executives. The firm has been conducting the surveys since 1999.

Sometimes recessions have a cleansing effect on companies. The current recession has jolted health care in a positive direction in terms of economic profit. Health care companies have doubled their return on capital from 5.1% in 2003 to 10.8% in 2009, on a trailing twelve month basis.

Gary A. Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of wRatings, said, “Sector rotation into many of these safety stocks occurred a while ago. But in stark contrast to other sectors, pricing power with health care customers remains on the upswing in 2009. So in these uncertain times, several health care stocks are on track to continued growth. No doubt this sector will emerge from the recession stronger than before.”

Peter Skarzynski, Managing Director of Strategos and Author of Innovation to the Core (HBSP, 2008), notes, “As we saw newcomers challenge and overtake incumbents, we are reminded that R&D spending alone is no assurance for winning. Companies that can successfully challenge industry orthodoxies and innovate at the level of the business model have the best chance of thriving in this turbulent time.”

All 111 companies in the study received a W Score™, where 100 equals the most competitive nationally.

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

2009 RANK

2008 RANK

COMPANY

W SCORE™

        
      
      
        
          Biotechnology
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          3
        
        
        
        
          Genentech (NYSE: DNA)
        
        
        
        
          72.30
        
      
      
        
          Drug Retail
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          2
        
        
        
        
          Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)
        
        
        
        
          72.45
        
      
      
        
          HC Distributors
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          3
        
        
        
        
          Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH)
        
        
        
        
          80.70
        
      
      
        
          HC Equipment
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          10
        
        
        
        
          Varian Medical (NYSE: VAR)
        
        
        
        
          90.05
        
      
      
        
          HC Facilities
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          3
        
        
        
        
          Health Mgmt. Assoc. (NYSE: HMA)
        
        
        
        
          53.60
        
      
      
        
          HC Information
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          IMS Health (NYSE: RX)
        
        
        
        
          72.50
        
      
      
        
          HC Services
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          4
        
        
        
        
          Covance Inc. (NYSE: CVD)
        
        
        
        
          83.45
        
      
      
        
          HC Suppliers
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          2
        
        
        
        
          Alcon Inc. (NYSE: ACL)
        
        
        
        
          92.70
        
      
      
        
          Pharmaceutical OTC (Over The Counter)
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          5
        
        
        
        
          GlaxoSmithKline OTC (NYSE: GSK)
        
        
        
        
          83.55
        
      
      
        
          Pharmaceutical Rx (Prescription)
        
        
        
        
          1
        
        
        
        
          2
        
        
        
        
          J&J Rx (NYSE: JNJ)
        
        
        
        
          92.85
        
      
    
    

The annual report and Top 20 list is available at www.strategos.com or www.wratings.com/projections.php?s=925hc.

Full data is available to wRatings subscribers.

About UTEK Corporation

UTEK® is a leading innovation services company. UTEK’s services enable clients to become stronger innovators, rapidly source externally developed technologies, create value from their intellectual property and gain foresight into marketplace and technology developments that affect their business. Strategos is a strategic innovation consulting division of UTEK. Strategos helps clients innovate and grow by bringing innovation to their core business and organization. UTEK is a business development company. For more information about UTEK and Strategos, please visit its websites at www.utekcorp.com and www.strategos.com.

About The wRatings Corporation

The wRatings Corporation is an independent stock research firm based in metro Washington, DC. The company was founded by Harvard Business Review author and persuasion expert, Gary A. Williams. He and his team continually study consumer and executive buying behavior to project the future earnings performance of companies. Since 1999, their original set of leading indicators uses a common framework to measure the competitive strength of companies. For more information about wRatings, please visit its website at www.wRatings.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words, such as UTEK "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or words of similar import. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. These factors are not exhaustive. New factors, risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time that may affect the forward-looking statements made herein. These forward-looking statements are only made as of the date of this press release and UTEK does not undertake any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. This press release (when filed) will be available on the Company’s website www.utekcorp.com.