Advisors Asset Management Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 5.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,703 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,179 shares during the quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $13,425,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 10.0% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 13,493,852 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $7,842,762,000 after acquiring an additional 1,231,059 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.6% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 10,054,621 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $5,843,848,000 after acquiring an additional 156,675 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.5% in the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,113,137 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $4,715,436,000 after acquiring an additional 123,523 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 32.2% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,481,257 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $1,372,157,000 after acquiring an additional 604,895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,740,482 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $962,482,000 after acquiring an additional 20,075 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.23% of the company’s stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NYSE TMO opened at $509.15 on Wednesday. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a twelve month low of $465.90 and a twelve month high of $627.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $581.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $581.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.75 billion, a PE ratio of 31.92, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.79.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The medical research company reported $5.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.25 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.63 billion. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 17.49% and a net margin of 14.48%. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $5.69 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 21.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Friday, November 15th that authorizes the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.31%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.78%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $560.16, for a total value of $168,048.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,663 shares in the company, valued at $9,333,946.08. The trade was a 1.77 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $552.86, for a total value of $4,975,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 14,608 shares in the company, valued at $8,076,178.88. This trade represents a 38.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 37,150 shares of company stock valued at $20,651,865. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on TMO. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $680.00 to $665.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $650.00 to $670.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $632.00 to $622.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $767.00 to $718.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $655.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $649.33.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Company 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.