Alliancebernstein L.P. Reduces Holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

Alliancebernstein L.P. reduced its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO - Free Report) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,493,320 shares of the medical research company's stock after selling 101,103 shares during the quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned approximately 0.39% of Thermo Fisher Scientific worth $776,870,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of TMO. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Barrett & Company Inc. purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Missouri Trust & Investment Co purchased a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Pillar Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 89.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TMO has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Raymond James reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $667.00 price target (up previously from $650.00) on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada set a $693.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a report on Friday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $660.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $647.00 to $678.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Thermo Fisher Scientific currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $653.23.

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Insider Activity at Thermo Fisher Scientific

In related news, CFO Stephen Williamson sold 9,825 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total value of $5,753,421.75. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 27,296 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $15,984,264.64. This represents a 26.47 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michael A. Boxer sold 3,775 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $532.52, for a total value of $2,010,263.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 10,816 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,759,736.32. This represents a 25.87 % decrease in their position. 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 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Trading Up 1.3 %

TMO traded up $6.28 on Wednesday, hitting $489.25. 2,067,351 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,625,339. The stock has a market capitalization of $184.57 billion, a PE ratio of 29.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.79. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 12 month low of $473.50 and a 12 month 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 firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $538.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $550.11.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $6.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.94 by $0.16. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 14.78% and a return on equity of 17.51%. Sell-side analysts expect that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 earnings per share for the current 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. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.35%. This is a positive change from Thermo Fisher Scientific's previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Thermo Fisher Scientific's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.41%.

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.