Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts' consensus: Thermo Fisher has an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from 22 firms (19 Buy, 1 Strong Buy, 2 Hold) with a one‑year average price target of $631.25.
• Quarterly results beat: The company reported EPS of $6.57 vs. $6.45 expected and revenue of $12.22B vs. $11.95B, with revenue up 7.2% year‑over‑year and analysts forecasting full‑year EPS of 24.64.
• Insider activity: Recent insider sales include CEO Marc Casper selling 5,000 shares at $512.40 and EVP Gianluca Pettiti selling 400 shares at $541.20; insiders now own about 0.33% of the stock while institutional investors hold ~89.23%.

Shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-two ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nineteen have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $631.25.

A number of research firms have issued reports on TMO. Wells Fargo & Company set a $683.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $615.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $650.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $653.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Friday, January 30th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $541.20, for a total transaction of $216,480.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,230,982.40. This trade represents a 1.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $512.40, for a total transaction of $2,562,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 123,925 shares in the company, valued at $63,499,170. This represents a 3.88% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 170.6% in the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 46 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 126.9% in the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 59 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 89.23% of the company's stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Trading Down 0.1%

Thermo Fisher Scientific stock opened at $525.45 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $500.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $550.81. Thermo Fisher Scientific has a 52 week low of $385.46 and a 52 week high of $643.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.97.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The medical research company reported $6.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.45 by $0.12. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 15.05% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The company had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.95 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.10 EPS. The company's revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Thermo Fisher Scientific will post 24.64 EPS for the current year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is an increase from Thermo Fisher Scientific's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Thermo Fisher Scientific's payout ratio is 10.60%.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific NYSE: TMO is a global provider of scientific instrumentation, reagents and consumables, software, and services that support research, clinical, and industrial laboratories. The company supplies analytical instruments and laboratory equipment, life sciences reagents and kits, specialty diagnostics, and a broad range of consumables used by researchers, clinicians, and manufacturers. Its offerings also include laboratory information management and data-analysis software, as well as service solutions such as instrument maintenance, validation, and logistics that help customers run complex workflows efficiently.

Thermo Fisher operates through multiple business areas that broadly cover life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services, including contract development and manufacturing for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

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