Short Interest in Bruker Co. (NASDAQ:BRKR) Grows By 39.8%

Bruker Co. (NASDAQ:BRKR) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,980,000 shares, a growth of 39.8% from the February 28th total of 5,710,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,760,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Approximately 7.8% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Bruker Stock Down 0.9 %

BRKR traded down $0.40 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $41.69. 437,439 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,355,282. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Bruker has a 1-year low of $40.64 and a 1-year high of $94.35. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $50.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.91. The stock has a market cap of $6.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.96, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.18.

Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The medical research company reported $0.76 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that Bruker will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bruker Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 17th. Bruker’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BRKR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Bruker from $69.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Bruker from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $60.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of Bruker in a report on Monday, February 24th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Bruker from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Bruker from $70.00 to $57.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 14th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bruker

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BRKR. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 510 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Bruker by 2,324.1% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 703 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Bruker by 37.5% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 909 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in 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 buying an additional 412 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. 79.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Bruker

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.