Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Invests $1.28 Million in Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. $MTD

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group purchased 1,004 shares of Mettler-Toledo International valued at approximately $1.28 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 95.07% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with six Buy ratings and seven Hold ratings; the consensus price target is $1,461.27. Shares recently opened at $1,397.03, within a 52-week range of $1,023.05 to $1,525.17.
• Mettler-Toledo exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $11.46 in EPS versus the $10.78 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 4.5% year over year to $1.03 billion. Meanwhile, company insiders sold 3,312 shares worth about $4.75 million over the past three months.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,283,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 83.3% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 66 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $78,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 3.1% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,347 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,582,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 44.6% in the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 405 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $476,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 10.8% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 4,035 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $4,740,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AXA S.A. raised its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 2.9% during the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 4,625 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $5,433,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,413.00 to $1,200.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. 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 research report on Monday, August 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,400.00 to $1,580.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,225.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Mettler-Toledo International in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $1,461.27.

Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance

Mettler-Toledo International stock opened at $1,397.03 on Monday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $1,345.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,274.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 159.45, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.12. Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. has a 1 year low of $1,023.05 and a 1 year high of $1,525.17. The company has a market capitalization of $28.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.23.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Mettler-Toledo International

In other news, insider Gerry Keller sold 240 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the insider owned 259 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $369,629.26. This trade represents a 48.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Thomas P. Salice sold 417 shares of Mettler-Toledo International stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,440.41, for a total transaction of $600,650.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 292 shares of the company's stock, valued at $420,599.72. This trade represents a 58.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 3,312 shares of company stock valued at $4,750,362 in the last three months. 0.71% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Mettler-Toledo International

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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