Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. Purchases 175,159 Shares of Medtronic PLC $MDT

Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S. increased its position in shares of Medtronic PLC (NYSE:MDT) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,705,936 shares of the medical technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 175,159 shares during the period. Medtronic comprises 3.0% of Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Lazard Freres Gestion S.A.S.’s holdings in Medtronic were worth $163,872,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Curbstone Financial Management Corp lifted its stake in Medtronic by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Curbstone Financial Management Corp now owns 5,594 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $537,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Medtronic by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,403 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $135,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Medtronic by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,221 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $309,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Maseco LLP lifted its stake in Medtronic by 32.1% during the 4th quarter. Maseco LLP now owns 444 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holistic Financial Partners lifted its stake in Medtronic by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Holistic Financial Partners now owns 3,697 shares of the medical technology company’s stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Medtronic

In related news, EVP Harry Skip Kiil sold 52,524 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.71, for a total transaction of $5,132,120.04. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 32,768 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,201,761.28. This represents a 61.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MDT shares. Mizuho decreased their target price on Medtronic from $125.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Medtronic from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Medtronic in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on Medtronic in a research note on Friday, January 30th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $114.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Medtronic from $92.00 to $93.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.80.

Medtronic Stock Up 1.5%

MDT stock opened at $78.51 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $84.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $93.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a current ratio of 2.54. Medtronic PLC has a fifty-two week low of $74.40 and a fifty-two week high of $106.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.87, a PEG ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.62.

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The medical technology company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.02. Medtronic had a net margin of 13.00% and a return on equity of 14.82%. The firm had revenue of $9.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.38 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Medtronic PLC will post 5.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Medtronic Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 27th were paid a dividend of $0.71 per share. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 27th. Medtronic’s dividend payout ratio is presently 79.11%.

Key Medtronic News

Here are the key news stories impacting Medtronic this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Medtronic’s long-running dividend growth story is in focus again, with investors viewing the company as a stable income name as its 47-year streak of dividend increases is expected to continue. Medtronic dividend preview: 47-year growth streak set to continue
• Positive Sentiment: Medtronic is also benefiting from the broader “silver economy” investment theme, as aging populations continue to drive demand for medical devices and healthcare solutions. Silver Economy Investing: Why the Healthcare Giants Are in Focus
• Neutral Sentiment: The company announced Kweli Thompson will take over leadership of its neuroscience portfolio, replacing Brett Wall as part of a planned transition. The move keeps attention on execution in a major segment, but it is not a major financial update by itself. Medtronic Neuroscience Appointment Puts Focus On Execution And Growth Risks
• Neutral Sentiment: Medtronic also named new leaders in its neuroscience portfolio in a separate announcement, reinforcing that the change is already being absorbed by the market. Medtronic, BD name new leaders
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent trading commentary noted MDT had been advancing while the broader market declined, suggesting relative strength rather than a company-specific catalyst. Medtronic (MDT) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors

Medtronic Company Profile

Medtronic plc is a global medical technology company that develops and manufactures a broad range of therapeutic devices and health care solutions. Headquartered legally in Ireland with principal operational offices in the United States, the company markets products to hospitals, physicians and health systems worldwide and has grown from its founding in 1949 into one of the largest medical-device manufacturers serving global health-care markets.

Medtronic’s offerings span several clinical areas, including cardiac rhythm and heart failure (pacemakers, implantable cardioverter‑defibrillators and related cardiac therapies), minimally invasive and surgical technologies (laparoscopic and advanced energy devices, visualization systems and surgical innovations), restorative therapies (spine and orthopedics, neuromodulation and neurovascular treatments) and diabetes management (insulin-delivery systems and glucose monitoring solutions).