Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 982 Shares of Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX)

Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) by 0.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 105,733 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after selling 982 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Hologic were worth $8,241,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of HOLX. Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in shares of Hologic by 9.9% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 276,880 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $19,783,000 after acquiring an additional 24,867 shares during the period. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Hologic during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Hologic by 28.7% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,538 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 790 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Hologic by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 41,331 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $2,953,000 after purchasing an additional 3,518 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Hologic by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,818 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $916,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Stephen P. Macmillan sold 3,672 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total transaction of $294,237.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,157,562 shares in the company, valued at $92,755,443.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Christiana Stamoulis sold 9,039 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.50, for a total value of $718,600.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 45,472 shares in the company, valued at $3,615,024. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Stephen P. Macmillan sold 3,672 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.13, for a total value of $294,237.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,157,562 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $92,755,443.06. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.75% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on HOLX. StockNews.com raised Hologic from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Hologic from $89.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Citigroup raised shares of Hologic from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $80.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Stephens initiated coverage on Hologic in a report on Thursday, June 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $87.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of Hologic in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Hologic has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $85.55.

Hologic Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ HOLX opened at $78.08 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.97, a quick ratio of 3.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a market cap of $18.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.12, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.99. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $74.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $75.03. Hologic, Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.02 and a 12-month high of $81.00.

Hologic (NASDAQ:HOLX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical equipment provider reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.05. Hologic had a net margin of 11.78% and a return on equity of 18.91%. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.06 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Hologic, Inc. will post 4.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hologic Profile

Hologic, Inc develops, manufactures, and supplies diagnostics products, medical imaging systems, and surgical products for women's health through early detection and treatment. The company operates through four segments: Diagnostics, Breast Health, GYN Surgical, and Skeletal Health. It provides Aptima molecular diagnostic assays to detect the infectious microorganisms; Aptima viral load assays for Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and human cytomegalo virus; Aptima bacterial vaginosis and candida vaginitis assays for the diagnosis of vaginitis; Aptima SARS-CoV-2 and Panther Fusion SARS-CoV-2 assays to detect SARS-CoV-2; ThinPrep System for cytology applications; and Rapid Fetal Fibronectin Test that assists physicians in assessing the risk of pre-term birth.