Markel Group Inc. increased its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO - Free Report) by 16.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,100 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,700 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc.'s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $21,381,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TMO. FMR LLC lifted its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 19.7% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,877,459 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $4,872,761,000 after acquiring an additional 1,294,453 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 68,617.0% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 762,759 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $396,810,000 after purchasing an additional 761,649 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter worth approximately $377,901,000. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the 3rd quarter valued at $254,412,000. Finally, Lindsell Train Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the fourth quarter worth $211,858,000. 89.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 115,174 shares in the company, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Stephen Williamson sold 9,825 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total transaction of $5,753,421.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 27,296 shares in the company, valued at $15,984,264.64. This represents a 26.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 23,900 shares of company stock valued at $13,106,062 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts have weighed in on TMO shares. Scotiabank upped their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $605.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $660.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $650.00 to $570.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Raymond James reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $667.00 target price (up previously from $650.00) on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $675.00 to $660.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Thermo Fisher Scientific currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $653.23.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on TMO
Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance
Shares of TMO stock traded down $1.62 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $512.58. 1,001,989 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,528,798. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $493.30 and a fifty-two week high of $627.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The stock's fifty day moving average is $549.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $560.79. The company has a market cap of $193.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.79.
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $6.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $5.94 by $0.16. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 17.51% and a net margin of 14.78%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Thermo Fisher Scientific declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Friday, November 15th that permits the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical research company to buy up to 2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Thermo Fisher Scientific's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Thermo Fisher Scientific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.41%.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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