Danaher (NYSE:DHR) Reaches New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Danaher shares hit a new 52-week low of $174.60 and were trading down about 1.9%, remaining well below their 50‑day ($193.34) and 200‑day ($213.15) moving averages.
• Wall Street remains mostly constructive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy (18 Buys, 3 Holds) and a $240.70 average price target, although several firms have trimmed targets recently.
• Fundamentals show a mixed picture: quarterly EPS beat at $2.06 (vs. $1.94 est.) while revenue slightly missed, the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.40, insiders have sold shares, and institutional ownership stands high at about 79%.

Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $174.60 and last traded at $175.04, with a volume of 1187644 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $178.95.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DHR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Danaher in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Argus decreased their price target on shares of Danaher from $265.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $205.00 price objective on shares of Danaher in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Evercore increased their target price on shares of Danaher from $225.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $240.70.

Danaher Trading Down 1.9%

The company has a fifty day moving average of $193.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $213.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.52, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $124.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.95.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 20th. The conglomerate reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $5.95 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6 billion. Danaher had a net margin of 14.89% and a return on equity of 10.91%. Danaher's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.88 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Danaher Corporation will post 8.43 EPS for the current year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 27th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 27th. This is an increase from Danaher's previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Danaher's payout ratio is 30.95%.

Insider Transactions at Danaher

In other Danaher news, EVP Gregory M. Milosevich sold 1,320 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.01, for a total transaction of $274,573.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,099 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,060,642.99. The trade was a 20.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 10.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

About Danaher

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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