VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Purchases 23,400 Shares of Bruker Corporation $BRKR

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al raised its position in shares of Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ:BRKR) by 96.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,600 shares of the medical research company’s stock after acquiring an additional 23,400 shares during the quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Bruker were worth $3,082,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Bruker during the second quarter worth approximately $38,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Bruker in the third quarter worth approximately $57,000. Essential Partners LLC bought a new stake in Bruker in the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Bruker in the second quarter worth approximately $60,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Bruker by 88.6% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,060 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $64,000 after buying an additional 498 shares during the period. 79.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bruker Stock Down 2.4%

BRKR opened at $55.69 on Tuesday. Bruker Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $32.37 and a fifty-two week high of $66.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.48 billion, a P/E ratio of -79.56, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50-day moving average is $58.82 and its 200 day moving average is $50.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.85 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical research company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $838.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $853.57 million. Bruker had a positive return on equity of 12.47% and a negative net margin of 2.35%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. Research analysts expect that Bruker Corporation will post 2.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bruker Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Bruker’s dividend payout ratio is presently -28.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on BRKR shares. Leerink Partners raised their price objective on shares of Bruker from $60.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Bruker from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Bruker in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Bruker in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Bruker from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Bruker has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.43.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bruker

In related news, VP Mark Munch sold 2,000 shares of Bruker stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.87, for a total value of $105,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 134,806 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,127,193.22. This trade represents a 1.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 27.20% of the company’s stock.

Bruker Profile

Bruker Corporation develops and manufactures scientific instruments, analytical systems and related software used to study materials, molecules and biological processes. Its technologies support research, discovery and quality control in fields including life sciences, pharmaceutical development, chemical analysis, materials science, environmental testing and clinical research.

The company’s product portfolio includes nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance systems, mass spectrometers, infrared and Raman spectroscopy instruments, X-ray analysis equipment, microscopy and nanoanalysis systems, and preclinical imaging technologies.