Bailard Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

Bailard Inc. raised its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,672 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $870,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Howard Capital Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 54,575 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $33,759,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 40.8% in the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 1,001 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $577,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 100.0% during the third quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,044 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $645,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Blue Square Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the third quarter worth about $215,000. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 574,355 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $355,279,000 after purchasing an additional 16,561 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.23% of the company’s stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Stock Down 1.1 %

NYSE:TMO opened at $523.00 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $197.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.77. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 52 week low of $493.30 and a 52 week high of $627.88. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $549.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $564.35.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 14.78% and a return on equity of 17.51%. Research analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 EPS 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. This is an increase from Thermo Fisher Scientific’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.33%. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s payout ratio is 10.41%.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

TMO has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $647.00 to $678.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $605.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Raymond James reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $667.00 target price (up previously from $650.00) on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada set a $693.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $600.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Thermo Fisher Scientific has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $656.86.

Insider Transactions at Thermo Fisher Scientific

In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, CFO Stephen Williamson sold 9,825 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total transaction of $5,753,421.75. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 27,296 shares in the company, valued at $15,984,264.64. This represents a 26.47 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 300 shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total value of $175,677.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,363 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,582,009.17. The trade was a 1.80 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

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.