Last week I added 5 shares of Meridian Biosciences, Inc. (VIVO) to the Own Every Stock Portfolio.  With the addition of (VIVO) the Own Every Stock Portfolio now has a total of 144 stocks representing 28 different countries throughout the world.  Meridian Biosciences is a small cap healthcare sector stock with a current market capitalization of around 810 million.  The company's core business is diagnostic test kits for a variety of diseases sold in several countries primarily located in North America and Europe.  In its most recent quarterly earnings, the company was able to boost profit by 10%, partially by test kits that detect the flu.  The shares of (VIVO) were added to the Own Every Stock portfolio at a cost of  19.66 per share.

Currently, Meridian Biosciences is trading at around 20 times earnings with zero long term debt and around 60 million in cash.  Last month, the company boosted its dividend 11.76% from $0.17 per quarter to $0.19 per quarter ($0.76 per year).  With its latest dividend increase, VIVO shares are now yielding just under 3.8%.  It is difficult to find a potential growth company with a solid dividend yield, but I believe Meridian Biosciences fits these two criteria nicely.  Add in the fact the company has no debt, and I am optimistic about the future prospects of the company.  Of course, my opinion is just that, an opinion, and should not be construed as an investment recommendation.  A person considering any investment should conduct their own due diligence or contact an investment advisor before making any investment decisions.