Danaher (NYSE:DHR) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS Group upgraded Danaher to “strong buy.” Despite mixed analyst actions, the stock carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $228.91.
• Danaher’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $1.94 versus the $1.85 estimate and revenue of $6.26 billion compared with the $6.12 billion consensus; revenue increased 5.5% year over year.
• Shares opened at $200.30, down 0.1%, while institutional investors own approximately 79.05% of the company and several funds recently initiated or expanded positions.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at UBS Group to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. DZ Bank initiated coverage on shares of Danaher in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Wolfe Research downgraded Danaher from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Danaher from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Danaher in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on Danaher from $240.00 to $236.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $228.91.

Danaher Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:DHR opened at $200.30 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $202.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $192.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Danaher has a 12-month low of $160.93 and a 12-month high of $242.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $140.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.78.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 20th. The conglomerate reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.12 billion. Danaher had a return on equity of 11.04% and a net margin of 15.95%.The firm's revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Danaher will post 8.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Danaher

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Danaher in the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,807,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Danaher by 303.7% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 248,020 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $56,777,000 after acquiring an additional 186,584 shares during the last quarter. Puzo Michael J acquired a new position in shares of Danaher during the second quarter worth approximately $8,624,000. Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Danaher during the second quarter valued at approximately $85,451,000. Finally, First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Danaher in the second quarter valued at approximately $14,106,000. Institutional investors own 79.05% of the company's stock.

Danaher Company Profile

Danaher Corporation NYSE: DHR is a global science and technology company that develops products, services and solutions for the life sciences, biotechnology and diagnostics markets. Its businesses support pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, biomanufacturing, clinical laboratories and healthcare providers.

The company's portfolio includes bioprocessing technologies, laboratory instruments, consumables, reagents and software. Key businesses include Cytiva, which provides biomanufacturing solutions; Beckman Coulter, which supplies laboratory diagnostics and automation systems; Leica Biosystems, which develops pathology products; and IDT, which provides genomic and nucleic acid products.

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