Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. $MTD Stock Position Raised by Strs Ohio

Key Points

• Strs Ohio boosted its stake in Mettler-Toledo by 2,594.8% in Q4, adding 12,896 shares to hold 13,393 shares worth about $18.7 million (0.07% of the company).
• Mettler-Toledo beat expectations for the quarter with EPS of $13.36 vs. $12.76 expected and revenue of $1.13 billion, up 8.1% year-over-year.
• Analysts have mixed moves—some lowered price targets while others upgraded the stock—resulting in a consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price around $1,459.58.

Strs Ohio raised its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD - Free Report) by 2,594.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,393 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 12,896 shares during the period. Strs Ohio owned 0.07% of Mettler-Toledo International worth $18,672,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 298,429 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $366,354,000 after purchasing an additional 8,360 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 157,457 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $220,718,000 after acquiring an additional 16,777 shares during the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,210,000. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $121,021,000. Finally, Machina Capital S.A.S. acquired a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,186,000. 95.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mettler-Toledo International

In other news, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 800 shares of Mettler-Toledo International stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,410.12, for a total transaction of $1,128,096.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 5,288 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,456,714.56. This trade represents a 13.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,475.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,500.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Wall Street Zen raised Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 in a report on Friday, March 20th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,459.58.

Mettler-Toledo International Stock Up 0.2%

MTD opened at $1,270.10 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.31. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $1,280.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,368.11. Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,049.21 and a 12-month high of $1,525.17.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $13.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.76 by $0.60. Mettler-Toledo International had a negative return on equity of 495.07% and a net margin of 21.59%.The company had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $12.41 EPS. Mettler-Toledo International's revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. will post 46.51 earnings per share for the current year.

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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