Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: 21 brokerages give Danaher a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (18 buys, 3 holds) with an average 12‑month price target of $246.50, versus the recent share price near $195, implying significant analyst upside.
• Quarterly results: Danaher reported $2.23 EPS (beat by $0.09) and $6.84B revenue (up 4.6% YoY), and analysts forecast about 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Dividend increase: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.40 (annualized $1.60) from $0.32, yielding ~0.8% with a payout ratio of roughly 31.8%.

Shares of Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eighteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $246.50.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on DHR shares. Leerink Partners upped their price objective on shares of Danaher from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Danaher from $265.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $245.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Danaher from $250.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Danaher from $251.00 to $249.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday.

Danaher Stock Performance

Shares of DHR stock opened at $194.77 on Friday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $198.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $214.68. The company has a market cap of $137.84 billion, a PE ratio of 38.64, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Danaher has a 12-month low of $180.03 and a 12-month high of $242.80.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.09. Danaher had a return on equity of 10.81% and a net margin of 14.71%.The business had revenue of $6.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.14 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Danaher will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 27th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 27th. This is a positive change from Danaher's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Danaher's payout ratio is currently 31.75%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Gregory M. Milosevich sold 1,320 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.01, for a total value of $274,573.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,099 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,060,642.99. This represents a 20.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 10.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Danaher

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of DHR. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Danaher by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,009 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $397,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Danaher by 34.5% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 55,418 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $10,947,000 after buying an additional 14,217 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Danaher by 40.2% in the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,088 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $610,000 after buying an additional 886 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC increased its holdings in Danaher by 64.2% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 75,714 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $14,957,000 after buying an additional 29,592 shares during the period. Finally, HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Danaher by 30.7% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,383 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.05% of the company's stock.

Danaher Company Profile

Danaher Corporation NYSE: DHR is a global science and technology company that designs, manufactures and markets products and services for the life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied markets. The company organizes its operations into business segments focused on Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions, supplying instruments, reagents, software and related services that support research, clinical testing, biopharmaceutical development, and industrial and environmental monitoring.

Products and services in Danaher's portfolio include analytical and diagnostic instruments, laboratory consumables and reagents, digital and software solutions for workflow and data management, field and industrial monitoring equipment, and service and maintenance programs.

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