Danaher (NYSE:DHR) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $164.96 and last traded at $165.31, with a volume of 333449 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $166.26.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Danaher in a report on Friday, March 27th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on Danaher from $275.00 to $235.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Danaher from $270.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered Danaher from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 25th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Danaher from $250.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $238.65.

Danaher Stock Down 0.8%

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $187.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $210.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.87. The stock has a market cap of $116.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.84, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.81.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 20th. The conglomerate reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $5.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6 billion. Danaher had a return on equity of 10.91% and a net margin of 14.89%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.88 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Danaher Corporation will post 8.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Danaher Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, June 26th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 26th. Danaher’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Danaher news, EVP Gregory M. Milosevich sold 1,320 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.01, for a total transaction of $274,573.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,099 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,060,642.99. This represents a 20.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 10.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Danaher

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Main Street Group LTD bought a new stake in shares of Danaher during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Danaher in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Danaher during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in Danaher in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new stake in Danaher in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. 79.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.