Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD) Insider Gerry Keller Sells 240 Shares of Stock

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD) insider Gerry Keller sold 240 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,427.14, for a total transaction of $342,513.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 259 shares in the company, valued at $369,629.26. This represents a 48.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Mettler-Toledo International Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of MTD opened at $1,420.36 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 159.45, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 0.78. Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,023.05 and a 1-year high of $1,525.17. The stock has a market cap of $28.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.23. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,257.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,273.39.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $11.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.78 by $0.68. The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. Mettler-Toledo International had a negative return on equity of 1,212.14% and a net margin of 21.91%.Mettler-Toledo International’s revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $10.09 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. will post 47.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Mettler-Toledo International

Here are the key news stories impacting Mettler-Toledo International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target increases: Stifel Nicolaus raised its price target to $1,600, while Wells Fargo lifted its target to $1,450. Barclays also indicated that the stock is expected to rise, supporting the view that analysts see additional upside. Stifel Nicolaus Increases Mettler-Toledo International Price Target Wells Fargo Boosts Mettler-Toledo International Price Target Barclays Analyst Expects Mettler-Toledo Stock to Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its target: Morgan Stanley increased its target from $1,275 to $1,450, although it maintained an “equal weight” rating, signaling limited conviction relative to a bullish recommendation. Morgan Stanley Raises Mettler-Toledo Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: Baron Capital added to its MTD position following a sharp decline, suggesting at least one investment manager viewed the weakness as an opportunity. Baron Capital Added to Mettler-Toledo
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider sales: CFO Shawn Vadala sold 2,240 shares for approximately $3.21 million, reducing his holdings by 28.65%. Director Thomas P. Salice sold 415 shares worth about $599,500, while insider Gerry Keller sold 240 shares worth roughly $342,500. The transactions reduce insider ownership and may weigh on sentiment, although the filings do not establish the reasons for the sales.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,400.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,400.00 to $1,580.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,225.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1,461.27.

Institutional Trading of Mettler-Toledo International

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new position in Mettler-Toledo International during the first quarter worth approximately $26,372,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2,813.6% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 124,205 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $173,165,000 after buying an additional 119,942 shares during the period. Strs Ohio increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2,594.8% during the 4th quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 13,393 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $18,672,000 after buying an additional 12,896 shares during the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 34.3% during the 4th quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 4,150 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $5,786,000 after buying an additional 1,060 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivik Global Healthcare LLC purchased a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the 4th quarter worth $4,183,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.07% of the company’s stock.

Mettler-Toledo International Company Profile

Mettler-Toledo International Inc is a global manufacturer and distributor of precision instruments and services for laboratory, industrial and food retail applications. The company’s product portfolio includes laboratory balances and analytical instruments, industrial weighing systems, process analytics and sensors, metal detection and x-ray inspection equipment, checkweighers, and a range of automated inspection and data-management solutions. Mettler-Toledo also provides software, calibration and lifecycle services intended to support compliance, quality control and operational efficiency across customer facilities.

The company serves a broad set of end markets including pharmaceutical and biotech laboratories, chemical and food processors, logistics and manufacturing operations, and retail environments where accurate weighing and inspection are critical.