Principal Financial Group Inc. Reduces Position in Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. $MTD

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group reduced its stake in Mettler-Toledo by 5.3% in Q4, selling 15,776 shares and ending the period with 282,653 shares worth about $394.07 million (≈1.38% ownership).
• Mettler-Toledo reported an EPS beat for the quarter ($13.36 vs. $12.76) and $1.13 billion in revenue, and Wall Street holds a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target around $1,459.58.
• Insider and institutional activity: CFO Shawn Vadala sold 800 shares (a 13.14% reduction in his position), institutions own roughly 95.07% of the stock, and insiders hold about 0.71%.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD - Free Report) by 5.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 282,653 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 15,776 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 1.38% of Mettler-Toledo International worth $394,072,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 50.7% during the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 987 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,376,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 2,594.8% during the 4th quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 13,393 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $18,672,000 after purchasing an additional 12,896 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab purchased a new stake in Mettler-Toledo International during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,621,000. Horizon Investments LLC grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 739 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,030,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 8,916 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $12,431,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.07% of the company's stock.

Mettler-Toledo International Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE MTD opened at $1,261.36 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $25.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.95, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,280.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,368.11. Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. has a 12 month low of $1,052.05 and a 12 month high of $1,525.17.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $13.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $12.76 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 21.59% and a negative return on equity of 495.07%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $12.41 EPS. Analysts forecast that Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. will post 46.51 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,475.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,500.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,459.58.

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 shares were sold at an average price of $1,410.12, for a total transaction of $1,128,096.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,288 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,456,714.56. The trade was a 13.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.71% of the stock is currently owned by company 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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