Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) Shares Sold by Argent Trust Co

Argent Trust Co lessened its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,940 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 643 shares during the period. Argent Trust Co’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $11,414,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Barrett & Company Inc. acquired a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. FPC Investment Advisory Inc. bought a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Missouri Trust & Investment Co bought a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Pillar Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. 89.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance

TMO stock traded down $17.27 during trading on Thursday, reaching $436.28. 257,449 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,052,448. The company has a market cap of $164.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.39, a PEG ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.86. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 52-week low of $409.85 and a 52-week high of $627.88. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $516.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $541.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last posted 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%. As a group, analysts predict that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.39%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from Thermo Fisher Scientific’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.41%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Gianluca Pettiti sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total value of $175,677.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $516.67, for a total value of $5,166,700.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 115,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $59,506,950.58. This trade represents a 7.99 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 23,900 shares of company stock valued at $13,106,062. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on TMO. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $660.00 to $680.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. UBS Group raised their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $700.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Royal Bank of Canada set a $693.00 price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com upgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $650.00 to $570.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $653.23.

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.