Generali Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne Acquires Shares of 91,000 Danaher Corporation $DHR

Generali Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne bought a new position in Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 91,000 shares of the conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $18,042,000. Danaher accounts for about 3.5% of Generali Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in Danaher in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Danaher in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Danaher in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Danaher during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Red Tortoise LLC boosted its holdings in Danaher by 175.0% in the second quarter. Red Tortoise LLC now owns 154 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. 79.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Danaher Stock Performance

Shares of DHR stock opened at $239.83 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $227.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $211.58. Danaher Corporation has a 52 week low of $171.00 and a 52 week high of $258.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $169.40 billion, a PE ratio of 49.45, a P/E/G ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 0.89.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR) last issued its earnings results on Monday, October 20th. The conglomerate reported $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.17. Danaher had a net margin of 14.44% and a return on equity of 10.92%. The company had revenue of $6.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.71 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Danaher Corporation will post 7.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Danaher Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th will be issued a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 26th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Danaher’s payout ratio is presently 26.39%.

Insider Activity at Danaher

In other Danaher news, SVP Brian W. Ellis sold 21,776 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.23, for a total value of $4,773,952.48. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 14,553 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,190,454.19. This represents a 59.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Teri List sold 3,298 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.50, for a total value of $746,997.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 20,762 shares in the company, valued at $4,702,593. The trade was a 13.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 30,248 shares of company stock worth $6,609,663. 11.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn restated a “neutral” rating and set a $220.00 price target (down from $245.00) on shares of Danaher in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Danaher in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They set an “overweight” rating and a $270.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Danaher in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Danaher from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Danaher from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Twenty-one equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Danaher presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $250.96.

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.