Taurus Asset Management LLC Purchases 6,609 Shares of Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR)

Taurus Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR - Free Report) by 4.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 147,430 shares of the conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 6,609 shares during the period. Danaher accounts for approximately 3.3% of Taurus Asset Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. Taurus Asset Management LLC's holdings in Danaher were worth $33,843,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund increased its stake in shares of Danaher by 11.6% in the fourth quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 21,233 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $4,874,000 after acquiring an additional 2,202 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Danaher by 1,212.8% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 2,770 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $636,000 after purchasing an additional 2,559 shares during the last quarter. Generate Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Danaher during the 4th quarter valued at $8,044,000. Compass Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Danaher by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Compass Capital Management Inc. now owns 237,922 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $54,615,000 after purchasing an additional 10,994 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Channing Global Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Danaher by 42.8% during the fourth quarter. Channing Global Advisors LLC now owns 5,666 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $1,301,000 after buying an additional 1,698 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.05% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Raymond James reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Danaher in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Danaher from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $260.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Danaher from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Danaher from $285.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Danaher in a report on Monday, April 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Danaher presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $274.55.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Brian W. Ellis sold 5,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.13, for a total value of $1,277,541.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 20,230 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,534,149.90. This represents a 21.98 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 11.10% of the company's stock.

Danaher Stock Down 2.1 %

Shares of Danaher stock traded down $3.95 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $186.71. 3,667,685 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,329,070. The stock has a market cap of $133.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.86. Danaher Co. has a fifty-two week low of $171.00 and a fifty-two week high of $281.70. The company has a 50 day moving average of $202.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $227.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The conglomerate reported $2.14 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $2.14. Danaher had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 16.33%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.09 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Danaher Co. will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. This is a positive change from Danaher's previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. Danaher's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.24%.

Danaher Profile

Danaher Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services worldwide. The Biotechnology segments offers bioprocess technologies, consumables, and services that advance, accelerate, and integrate the development and manufacture of therapeutics; cell line and cell culture media development services; cell culture media, process liquids and buffers for manufacturing, chromatography resins, filtration technologies, aseptic fill finish; single-use hardware and consumables and services, such as the design and installation of full manufacturing suites; lab filtration, separation, and purification; lab-scale protein purification and analytical tools; reagents, membranes, and services; and healthcare filtration solutions.