Short Interest in Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD) Grows By 19.4%

Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE:MTD) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 607,385 shares, an increase of 19.4% from the March 15th total of 508,607 shares. Approximately 3.0% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 164,137 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.7 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,475.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays lowered their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,550.00 to $1,500.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Mettler-Toledo International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Mettler-Toledo International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,459.58.

Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance

Shares of Mettler-Toledo International stock traded up $48.71 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1,339.55. The company had a trading volume of 115,540 shares, compared to its average volume of 144,190. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $1,296.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,367.97. The stock has a market cap of $27.12 billion, a PE ratio of 31.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.43. Mettler-Toledo International has a 1-year low of $962.54 and a 1-year high of $1,525.17.

Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $13.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.76 by $0.60. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 21.59% and a negative return on equity of 495.07%. The business had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $12.41 earnings per share. Mettler-Toledo International’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Mettler-Toledo International will post 42.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mettler-Toledo International news, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,410.12, for a total transaction of $1,128,096.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 5,288 shares in the company, valued at $7,456,714.56. This trade represents a 13.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.71% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mettler-Toledo International

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 42.1% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 27 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2,700.0% in the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 28 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.07% of the company’s stock.

About Mettler-Toledo International

Mettler-Toledo International Inc is a global manufacturer and distributor of precision instruments and services for laboratory, industrial and food retail applications. The company’s product portfolio includes laboratory balances and analytical instruments, industrial weighing systems, process analytics and sensors, metal detection and x-ray inspection equipment, checkweighers, and a range of automated inspection and data-management solutions. Mettler-Toledo also provides software, calibration and lifecycle services intended to support compliance, quality control and operational efficiency across customer facilities.

The company serves a broad set of end markets including pharmaceutical and biotech laboratories, chemical and food processors, logistics and manufacturing operations, and retail environments where accurate weighing and inspection are critical.