Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) Sets New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

Bruker Co. (NASDAQ:BRKR)’s share price reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $42.62 and last traded at $42.66, with a volume of 190027 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $43.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BRKR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Bruker in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $66.00 price objective for the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Bruker from $70.00 to $57.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 14th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Bruker from $69.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Bruker from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $60.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Bruker in a research report on Monday, February 24th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bruker currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $70.50.

Bruker Trading Down 3.2 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.60. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $50.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $56.96. The company has a market capitalization of $6.38 billion, a PE ratio of 55.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.18.

Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The medical research company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.01. Bruker had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 21.01%. Analysts anticipate that Bruker Co. will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Bruker Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 17th. Bruker’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.32%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BRKR. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in Bruker by 4,636.4% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 521 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 510 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Bruker by 2,324.1% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 703 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 674 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in shares of Bruker by 37.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 909 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in Bruker by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bruker by 47.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,279 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 412 shares in the last quarter. 79.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Bruker

Bruker Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and distributes scientific instruments, and analytical and diagnostic solutions in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Bruker Scientific Instruments (BSI) BioSpin, BSI CALID, BSI Nano, and Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies.