BDF Gestion Sells 1,773 Shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

BDF Gestion decreased its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 11.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,650 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 1,773 shares during the period. BDF Gestion’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $7,101,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the 4th quarter worth approximately $70,000. Strategic Planning Group LLC grew its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Planning Group LLC now owns 6,615 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $3,441,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the period. Highland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC now owns 33,979 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $17,677,000 after acquiring an additional 3,102 shares during the period. Summa Corp. grew its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Summa Corp. now owns 1,456 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $757,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 37.9% in the fourth quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 267,602 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $139,215,000 after acquiring an additional 73,575 shares during the last quarter. 89.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance

Shares of TMO opened at $567.09 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The business’s fifty day moving average is $536.74 and its 200 day moving average is $570.35. The stock has a market cap of $216.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 0.76. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 12-month low of $493.30 and a 12-month high of $627.88.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $6.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.94 by $0.16. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 14.48% and a return on equity of 17.49%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 21.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Friday, November 15th that authorizes the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th were paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s dividend payout ratio is currently 9.78%.

Insider Activity at Thermo Fisher Scientific

In other news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.12, for a total transaction of $5,581,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 33,608 shares in the company, valued at $18,757,296.96. The trade was a 22.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 34,850 shares of company stock worth $19,123,197. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $620.00 to $610.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 23rd. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $656.00 to $686.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Scotiabank started coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. They set a “sector perform” rating and a $605.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $630.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Bernstein Bank upped their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $565.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Thermo Fisher Scientific currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $648.95.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

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.