NZS Capital LLC Raises Holdings in Danaher Corporation $DHR

NZS Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) by 27.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 490,795 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 107,161 shares during the period. Danaher accounts for about 3.0% of NZS Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. NZS Capital LLC’s holdings in Danaher were worth $97,305,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Danaher in the second quarter worth $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new stake in shares of Danaher in the second quarter valued at $27,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Danaher in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Danaher during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Tripletail Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Danaher during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors own 79.05% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Gregory M. Milosevich sold 1,320 shares of Danaher stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.01, for a total transaction of $274,573.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,099 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,060,642.99. This trade represents a 20.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 11.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Argus set a $265.00 price target on Danaher in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $254.00 price objective on shares of Danaher in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Danaher from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Danaher in a report on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price target on the stock. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.86.

Danaher Price Performance

Shares of DHR stock opened at $203.97 on Wednesday. Danaher Corporation has a twelve month low of $171.00 and a twelve month high of $242.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $224.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $216.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $144.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.93.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $2.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.14 by $0.09. Danaher had a return on equity of 10.81% and a net margin of 14.71%.The firm had revenue of $6.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.14 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Danaher Corporation will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 27th. This is a boost from Danaher’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Danaher’s dividend payout ratio is currently 25.40%.

Danaher Company Profile

Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) is a global science and technology company that designs, manufactures and markets products and services for the life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied markets. The company organizes its operations into business segments focused on Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions, supplying instruments, reagents, software and related services that support research, clinical testing, biopharmaceutical development, and industrial and environmental monitoring.

Products and services in Danaher’s portfolio include analytical and diagnostic instruments, laboratory consumables and reagents, digital and software solutions for workflow and data management, field and industrial monitoring equipment, and service and maintenance programs.