Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at UBS Group

Key Points

• UBS Group initiated coverage of Mettler-Toledo International with a neutral rating and a $1,460 price target, implying approximately 12.4% upside from the stock’s reported price of $1,299.30.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but centered on “Hold”: six analysts rate the stock Buy, nine Hold, and one Sell, with a consensus price target of $1,446.36. Recent targets range from $1,450 at Morgan Stanley to $1,600 at Stifel Nicolaus.
• Mettler-Toledo exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $11.46 in EPS versus the $10.78 consensus and $1.03 billion in revenue, up 4.5% year over year. However, insiders sold 4,254 shares worth about $6.1 million over the past 90 days.

Research analysts at UBS Group began coverage on shares of Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. The brokerage set a "neutral" rating and a $1,460.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier's stock. UBS Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 12.37% from the company's current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,275.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. Barclays raised their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,300.00 to $1,575.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,400.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $1,446.36.

Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance

MTD stock traded down $26.22 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $1,299.30. 7,882 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 175,917. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1,364.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,273.69. Mettler-Toledo International has a 12 month low of $1,023.05 and a 12 month high of $1,525.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 159.45, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.27, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.22.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $11.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $10.78 by $0.68. The company had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. Mettler-Toledo International had a negative return on equity of 1,212.14% and a net margin of 21.91%.Mettler-Toledo International's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $10.09 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Mettler-Toledo International will post 47.35 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Gerry Keller sold 240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,427.14, for a total value of $342,513.60. Following the transaction, the insider owned 259 shares in the company, valued at $369,629.26. The trade was a 48.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 2,240 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,432.00, for a total transaction of $3,207,680.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,579 shares in the company, valued at $7,989,128. This trade represents a 28.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 4,254 shares of company stock worth $6,092,712 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mettler-Toledo International

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. XXEC Inc. bought a new stake in Mettler-Toledo International in the 2nd quarter worth about $77,044,000. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 114,807.7% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 35,100,865 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $44,841,706,000 after purchasing an additional 35,070,318 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Mettler-Toledo International during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,404,713,000. Capital International Investors lifted its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 969,067 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,351,064,000 after purchasing an additional 109,508 shares during the period. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 691,565 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $964,174,000 after purchasing an additional 3,157 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.07% of the company's stock.

Mettler-Toledo International Company Profile

Mettler-Toledo International Inc is a global manufacturer and distributor of precision instruments and services for laboratory, industrial and food retail applications. The company's product portfolio includes laboratory balances and analytical instruments, industrial weighing systems, process analytics and sensors, metal detection and x-ray inspection equipment, checkweighers, and a range of automated inspection and data-management solutions. Mettler-Toledo also provides software, calibration and lifecycle services intended to support compliance, quality control and operational efficiency across customer facilities.

The company serves a broad set of end markets including pharmaceutical and biotech laboratories, chemical and food processors, logistics and manufacturing operations, and retail environments where accurate weighing and inspection are critical.

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