Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Bruker Co. (NASDAQ:BRKR) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $42.62 and last traded at $42.66, with a volume of 190027 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $43.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on BRKR. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Bruker from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Bruker in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $66.00 price objective on the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Bruker in a research report on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Bruker from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $60.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Bruker from $69.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bruker presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.50.

Bruker Trading Down 2.9 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $6.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.40, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $50.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $57.15.

Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The medical research company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.75 by $0.01. Bruker had a return on equity of 21.01% and a net margin of 3.36%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bruker Co. will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Bruker Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.47%. Bruker’s payout ratio is 26.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bruker

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bruker by 4,636.4% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 521 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 510 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its position in Bruker by 2,324.1% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 703 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 674 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Bruker by 37.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 909 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its position in Bruker by 18.2% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Bruker by 47.5% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,279 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 412 shares during the last quarter. 79.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bruker Company Profile

Bruker Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and distributes scientific instruments, and analytical and diagnostic solutions in the United States, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Bruker Scientific Instruments (BSI) BioSpin, BSI CALID, BSI Nano, and Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies.