Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE:FMS) Lowered to "Buy" at StockNews.com

Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE:FMS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

Separately, Morgan Stanley lowered Fresenius Medical Care from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $32.25.

Fresenius Medical Care Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE FMS traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $18.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 183,243 shares, compared to its average volume of 439,005. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.42. Fresenius Medical Care has a 1-year low of $16.37 and a 1-year high of $27.72. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $19.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.71. The firm has a market cap of $11.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.38, a P/E/G ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.00.

Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE:FMS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $5.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.32 billion. Fresenius Medical Care had a net margin of 2.56% and a return on equity of 4.99%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Fresenius Medical Care will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Fresenius Medical Care

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Clear Street Markets LLC acquired a new position in Fresenius Medical Care during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Fresenius Medical Care in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hartford Financial Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Fresenius Medical Care by 98.8% in the fourth quarter. Hartford Financial Management Inc. now owns 1,688 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 839 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Fresenius Medical Care by 349.3% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,314 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,799 shares during the period. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Fresenius Medical Care during the fourth quarter worth approximately $55,000. 8.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Fresenius Medical Care Company Profile

Fresenius Medical Care AG provides dialysis and related services for individuals with renal diseases in Germany, North America, and internationally. The company offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure.

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