LGT Group Foundation Sells 24,780 Shares of Danaher Corporation $DHR

LGT Group Foundation cut its stake in Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) by 31.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 53,548 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after selling 24,780 shares during the period. LGT Group Foundation’s holdings in Danaher were worth $11,399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of DHR. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of Danaher in the second quarter worth $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in Danaher during the second quarter worth about $27,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new stake in Danaher during the third quarter worth about $27,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Danaher during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Tripletail Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Danaher during the third quarter worth about $31,000. 79.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Danaher Trading Down 3.2%

DHR opened at $195.60 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $138.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.81, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company’s 50 day moving average is $222.53 and its 200-day moving average is $215.99. Danaher Corporation has a 1-year low of $171.00 and a 1-year high of $242.80.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.09. Danaher had a net margin of 14.71% and a return on equity of 10.81%. The business had revenue of $6.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.14 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Danaher Corporation will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Danaher’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 27th. Danaher’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.40%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on DHR. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $254.00 target price on shares of Danaher in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Danaher in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Danaher from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Danaher in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Danaher has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.86.

Insider Activity at Danaher

In related news, EVP Gregory M. Milosevich sold 1,320 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.01, for a total transaction of $274,573.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,099 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,060,642.99. This trade represents a 20.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 11.20% of the company’s stock.

About Danaher

Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) is a global science and technology company that designs, manufactures and markets products and services for the life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied markets. The company organizes its operations into business segments focused on Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions, supplying instruments, reagents, software and related services that support research, clinical testing, biopharmaceutical development, and industrial and environmental monitoring.

Products and services in Danaher’s portfolio include analytical and diagnostic instruments, laboratory consumables and reagents, digital and software solutions for workflow and data management, field and industrial monitoring equipment, and service and maintenance programs.