Danaher (NYSE:DHR) Given New $225.00 Price Target at Evercore

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) had its price target reduced by Evercore from $254.00 to $225.00 in a research note published on Monday,MarketScreener reports. Evercore currently has an outperform rating on the conglomerate’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Danaher in a report on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Danaher from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Danaher in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.79.

Danaher Price Performance

NYSE DHR opened at $192.07 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $203.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $214.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Danaher has a 12-month low of $171.00 and a 12-month high of $242.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $135.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.95.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $2.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Danaher will post 7.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 27th. This is an increase from Danaher’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Danaher’s payout ratio is presently 31.75%.

Insider Activity at Danaher

In other news, EVP Gregory M. Milosevich sold 1,320 shares of Danaher stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.01, for a total transaction of $274,573.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,099 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,060,642.99. The trade was a 20.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 11.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Danaher

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DHR. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Danaher in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Danaher in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in Danaher in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new stake in Danaher in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in Danaher in the third quarter valued at $27,000. 79.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Danaher Company Profile

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.