Leerink Partners Lowers Earnings Estimates for Bio-Techne

On February 5, 2025, investment analysts at Leerink Partners revised their earnings per share estimates for Bio-Techne Co. (NASDAQ:TECH). The latest forecast indicates that Bio-Techne is expected to earn $0.51 per share for the fourth quarter of 2025, a slight decrease from their previous estimate of $0.52 per share. This update comes as part of a broader analysis of the biotechnology firm, which currently has a consensus estimate of $1.68 per share for the full year.

In recent days, Bio-Techne has caught the attention of various research firms. KeyCorp raised its price target on the company's stock from $80.00 to $90.00 and assigned an "overweight" rating on February 6. Scotiabank made a similar adjustment, increasing their target price from $88.00 to $90.00 while issuing a "sector outperform" rating. Royal Bank of Canada also raised its price target from $79.00 to $80.00, maintaining a "sector perform" rating. Additionally, Robert W. Baird increased the price target from $82.00 to $84.00, giving the stock an "outperform" rating in a note from October 31. Recently, StockNews.com upgraded Bio-Techne’s rating from "hold" to "buy" on November 12. Overall, analyst sentiments reflect a positive outlook, with two analysts holding a 'hold' rating and six issuing 'buy' ratings, leading to an average rating of "Moderate Buy" according to MarketBeat.

Market Performance

Following these announcements, Bio-Techne’s stock showed some fluctuations. As of Monday, shares opened at $69.92, representing a 4.0% decline. Important financial metrics for the company include a quick ratio of 3.26, a current ratio of 3.94, and a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. Over the past year, the stock has seen a low of $61.16 and a high of $85.57. The company's market capitalization stands at approximately $11.11 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.63 and a pricing growth ratio of 5.54.

Bio-Techne released its latest earnings report on February 5, where it recorded an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.35, falling short of the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.03. Despite this, the company posted a return on equity of 12.73% and a net margin of 13.22%.

Dividend Announcement

In a recent update, Bio-Techne declared a quarterly dividend to be distributed on February 28. Shareholders on record as of February 17 will receive a dividend payout of $0.08 per share, amounting to an annualized dividend of $0.32, which equates to a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date has been set for February 14, with the company's current dividend payout ratio at 32.32%.

Insider Transactions

Further developments include a transaction involving CEO Kim Kelderman, who sold 13,392 shares of Bio-Techne on January 27. The average sale price was $77.29 per share, totaling approximately $1,035,068. Following this transaction, Kelderman retains ownership of 39,004 shares valued at around $3,014,619. A total of about 3.90% of Bio-Techne's stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investments

Recent trading activity has also seen significant positions taken by institutional investors. Point72 Asset Management acquired new shares in Bio-Techne during the third quarter, worth approximately $89,724,000. Raymond James Financial entered a new position valued around $44,479,000 during the fourth quarter. Additionally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group increased its shareholding in Bio-Techne by 21.0% in the last quarter, now holding over 2 million shares valued at $147 million. Institutional ownership of Bio-Techne’s stock is currently reported at 98.95%.

About Bio-Techne

Bio-Techne Corporation, along with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacturing, and sale of life science reagents, instruments, and services targeting the research and clinical diagnostic markets across various regions including the United States, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Greater China, and Asia-Pacific.

Earnings, Estimates, Bio-Techne, Stocks