Howard Capital Management Inc. Sells 352 Shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

Howard Capital Management Inc. lowered its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 13.2% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,309 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 352 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $1,149,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in TMO. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,430,120 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $4,905,812,000 after buying an additional 104,343 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 13.2% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,910,015 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,034,107,000 after acquiring an additional 455,004 shares in the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 86.9% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,083,900 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,604,338,000 after purchasing an additional 1,433,444 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 2,879,274 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,432,816,000 after purchasing an additional 193,378 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,420,949 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,259,450,000 after purchasing an additional 257,462 shares during the period. 89.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Thermo Fisher Scientific

In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $479.98, for a total value of $191,992.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 22,367 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,735,712.66. This trade represents a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.33% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Stock Performance

Shares of TMO opened at $477.01 on Thursday. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 12 month low of $385.46 and a 12 month high of $627.88. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $418.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $468.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market cap of $180.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.77.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The medical research company reported $5.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.22 by $0.14. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 15.24% and a return on equity of 16.82%. The firm had revenue of $10.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.68 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.37 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.36%. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

TMO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. HSBC restated a “hold” rating and set a $510.00 target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $553.00 to $567.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $570.00 to $565.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. UBS Group upped their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $460.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $593.00.

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.