Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Thirteen brokerages give Mettler-Toledo a "Moderate Buy" (7 buys, 6 holds) with an average 12‑month price target of $1,459.58, roughly a 16% upside from the recent price of $1,261.36.
• Recent results: MTD beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $13.36 vs. $12.76 and revenue of $1.13B (up 8.1% year‑over‑year), and reported a net margin of 21.6%.
• Analyst views are mixed and shifting—Morgan Stanley and Barclays trimmed targets while Jefferies and Wall Street Zen upgraded to buy—and insiders/institutions are active: the CFO sold 800 shares while large funds (e.g., Norges Bank, M&T, Capital International) materially increased positions; institutional ownership is ~95.1%.

Shares of Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD - Get Free Report) have received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the thirteen brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,459.5833.

MTD has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,475.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays cut their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,500.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th.

Mettler-Toledo International Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of MTD opened at $1,261.36 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.95, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.31. Mettler-Toledo International has a 12 month low of $1,052.05 and a 12 month high of $1,525.17. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $1,280.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1,368.11.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Mettler-Toledo International news, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,410.12, for a total value of $1,128,096.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,288 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,456,714.56. This represents a 13.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.71% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mettler-Toledo International

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Mettler-Toledo International in the 4th quarter valued at $520,989,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2,813.6% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 124,205 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $173,165,000 after purchasing an additional 119,942 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 969,067 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,351,064,000 after purchasing an additional 109,508 shares in the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Mettler-Toledo International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $121,021,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 10.7% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 793,927 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $974,633,000 after purchasing an additional 76,478 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.07% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.