Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) Holdings Lifted by Sterling Investment Management LLC

Sterling Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 35.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,281 shares of the medical research company’s stock after buying an additional 1,634 shares during the quarter. Thermo Fisher Scientific accounts for approximately 2.4% of Sterling Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Sterling Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $3,334,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Halpern Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 307.7% in the 3rd quarter. Halpern Financial Inc. now owns 53 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Tyler Stone Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors own 89.23% of the company’s stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance

Shares of TMO stock opened at $579.37 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $564.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $519.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.39. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a one year low of $415.60 and a one year high of $603.82. The firm has a market cap of $220.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.80.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The medical research company reported $5.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.64 by $0.03. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 13.99%. The firm had revenue of $10.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.73 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.40 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 21.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This is a boost from Thermo Fisher Scientific’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.27%. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s payout ratio is 10.10%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on TMO. Barclays downgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $475.00 to $555.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a report on Wednesday, December 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $575.00 target price on the stock. HSBC started coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a report on Monday, December 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $610.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup started coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a report on Monday, March 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $620.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Raymond James raised their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $515.00 to $605.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $599.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $597.98, for a total transaction of $5,979,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 123,816 shares in the company, valued at $74,039,491.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $597.98, for a total transaction of $5,979,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 123,816 shares in the company, valued at $74,039,491.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michael A. Boxer sold 14,566 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $562.00, for a total value of $8,186,092.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 12,901 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,250,362. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 50,277 shares of company stock worth $28,513,384. Corporate insiders own 0.32% of the company’s stock.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

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.