Danaher Corporation $DHR Shares Purchased by American National Bank & Trust

American National Bank & Trust raised its position in Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) by 229.2% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 8,835 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,151 shares during the period. American National Bank & Trust’s holdings in Danaher were worth $1,957,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Danaher during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd grew its position in Danaher by 71.6% in the fourth quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 127 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Danaher during the second quarter worth $25,000. Main Street Group LTD acquired a new stake in Danaher during the first quarter worth $25,000. Finally, Field & Main Bank purchased a new stake in Danaher in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.05% of the company’s stock.

Danaher Trading Up 1.3%

Danaher stock traded up $2.77 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $218.38. 1,605,398 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,447,346. The firm has a market cap of $153.52 billion, a PE ratio of 38.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $210.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $194.05. Danaher Corporation has a 12-month low of $160.93 and a 12-month high of $242.80.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 20th. The conglomerate reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. Danaher had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 11.04%. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.12 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.77 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Danaher Corporation will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. Danaher’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on DHR. UBS Group started coverage on Danaher in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Danaher from $210.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of Danaher in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Danaher from $200.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Danaher from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Danaher presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $235.23.

About Danaher

Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) is a global science and technology company that develops and manufactures products, services and solutions for the life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology industries. Its offerings help researchers, healthcare professionals and biopharmaceutical manufacturers discover, develop, produce and analyze medicines and other biological products.

The company operates through businesses that provide laboratory instruments, consumables, software and services, including technologies for cell analysis, genomics, protein research, bioprocessing and clinical diagnostics.