FIL Ltd Buys 128,095 Shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

FIL Ltd grew its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO - Free Report) by 58.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 347,139 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 128,095 shares during the quarter. FIL Ltd owned approximately 0.09% of Thermo Fisher Scientific worth $180,592,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Barrett & Company Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Missouri Trust & Investment Co acquired a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Pillar Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.23% of the company's stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Trading Up 2.7 %

TMO stock traded up $11.69 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $449.84. 740,489 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,695,391. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a one year low of $409.85 and a one year high of $627.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.66. The company has a market cap of $169.71 billion, a PE ratio of 27.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.86. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $510.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $538.78.

Remove Ads

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $6.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.94 by $0.16. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 14.78% and a return on equity of 17.51%. Research analysts predict that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from Thermo Fisher Scientific's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.38%. Thermo Fisher Scientific's dividend payout ratio is 10.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on TMO. Barclays cut their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $620.00 to $475.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $660.00 to $680.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Raymond James reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $667.00 target price (up previously from $650.00) on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $650.00 to $570.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $630.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $647.43.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $516.67, for a total transaction of $5,166,700.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 115,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $59,506,950.58. This trade represents a 7.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 300 shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total value of $175,677.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,363 shares in the company, valued at $9,582,009.17. The trade was a 1.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 23,900 shares of company stock worth $13,106,062 in the last quarter. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Profile

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services in the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment offers reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and medical research, discovery, and production of drugs and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of infections and diseases; and solutions include biosciences, genetic sciences, and bio production to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, clinical, healthcare, academic, and government markets.