Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) Stake Lessened by Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC

Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC trimmed its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO – Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 171,726 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 828 shares during the period. Thermo Fisher Scientific makes up approximately 5.8% of Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC’s holdings, making the stock its largest holding. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $87,098,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 160.0% during the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 52 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 410.0% in the second quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 51 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Better Money Decisions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, New Millennium Group LLC purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.92% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $715.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 27th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $570.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Tuesday, December 6th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $661.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a report on Wednesday, October 12th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $711.00 to $696.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $633.30.

Insider Buying and Selling at Thermo Fisher Scientific

In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, Director Debora L. Spar sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $561.39, for a total transaction of $112,278.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $549,600.81. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 4,975 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $576.84, for a total value of $2,869,779.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,450 shares in the company, valued at $9,489,018. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Debora L. Spar sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $561.39, for a total transaction of $112,278.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $549,600.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 31,475 shares of company stock worth $16,073,443. Insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance

Thermo Fisher Scientific stock traded down $13.34 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $567.38. The stock had a trading volume of 426,611 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,952,851. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a one year low of $475.77 and a one year high of $618.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $222.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $556.73 and its 200 day moving average is $547.95.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO – Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 26th. The medical research company reported $5.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.78 by $0.30. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 22.97% and a net margin of 15.92%. The firm had revenue of $10.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.86 billion. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.21%. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s dividend payout ratio is 6.75%.

Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 10th that authorizes the company to buyback $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the medical research company to purchase up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Company Profile

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Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc engages in the provision of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software, and services for research, analysis, discovery, and diagnostics. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Services.