First Bank & Trust Has $1.24 Million Stock Position in Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO)

First Bank & Trust decreased its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) by 26.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,386 shares of the medical research company’s stock after selling 852 shares during the period. First Bank & Trust’s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $1,241,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AMF Tjanstepension AB acquired a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the third quarter worth about $42,409,000. Howard Capital Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 0.5% in the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Group LLC now owns 54,575 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $33,759,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 142.9% in the third quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 1,394 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $856,000 after buying an additional 820 shares during the last quarter. Westhampton Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.4% in the third quarter. Westhampton Capital LLC now owns 2,217 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,371,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.2% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 22,127 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $13,686,000 after buying an additional 271 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.23% of the company’s stock.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Stock Up 1.6 %

TMO opened at $531.41 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $548.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $568.36. 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 Inc. has a twelve month low of $493.30 and a twelve month high of $627.88. The firm has a market cap of $203.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.15, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.77.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The medical research company reported $6.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.94 by $0.16. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 14.78% and a return on equity of 17.51%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.43 per share. This is an increase from Thermo Fisher Scientific’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.32%. Thermo Fisher Scientific’s dividend payout ratio is 9.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Stephen Williamson sold 9,825 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $585.59, for a total transaction of $5,753,421.75. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 27,296 shares in the company, valued at $15,984,264.64. This represents a 26.47 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $530.26, for a total transaction of $5,302,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 111,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,960,669.92. This trade represents a 8.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 20,125 shares of company stock worth $11,231,699 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on TMO shares. Bank of America reduced their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $675.00 to $660.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $605.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $630.00 to $620.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $680.00 to $665.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Thermo Fisher Scientific from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $630.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Thermo Fisher Scientific presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $658.00.

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.