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Why Is Thermo Fisher (TMO) Down 6.5% Since Last Earnings Report?

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A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 6.5% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Thermo Fisher due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Thermo Fisher Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Margins Down

Thermo Fisher Scientific fourth-quarter 2022 adjusted earnings per share of $5.40 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4%. However, the figure declined 17% year over year.

The adjusted number excludes certain non-recurring expenses, including asset amortization costs and certain restructuring costs.

GAAP EPS was $4.01, down 3.8% drop on a year-over-year basis.
For the full year, adjusted earnings were $23.24 per share, reflecting a 7.5% fall from the year-ago period. However, it beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.9%.

Revenues in Detail

Revenues in the quarter under review grossed $11.45 billion, up 6.9% year over year. The top line exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.6%.
Total revenues for 2022 were $44.92 billion, reflecting a 14.5% rise from the year-ago period. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.5%.

Segment Details

Organic revenues in the reported quarter declined 3% year over year, while currency translation lowered revenues by 4%. Products added with acquisitions boosted revenues by 14%. Core organic revenue growth (considering the impact of PPD revenue, excluding the impacts of COVID-19 testing revenue) was 14%.

Thermo Fisher operates under four business segments — Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services.

Revenues at the Life Sciences Solutions segment (26.6% of total revenues) declined 26.6% year over year to $3.05 billion, while Analytical Instruments Segment sales (16.4%) improved 8.9% to $1.88 billion.

Revenues at the Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services segment (51.9%) rose 41.8% to $5.95 billion. The Specialty Diagnostics segment (9.7%), however, recorded a 22.9% year-over-year fall in revenues to $1.12 billion.

Margin Analysis

The gross margin of 41.4% in the fourth quarter contracted 910 basis points (bps) year over year on a 26.7% rise in the cost of revenues.

In the quarter, selling, general and administrative expenses fell 6.2% to $1.84 billion. Research and development expenses declined 0.2% to $391 million.

The adjusted operating margin for the quarter came in at 16.7%, reflecting a contraction of 741 bps.

Financial Position

The company exited 2022 with cash and cash equivalents of $8.52 billion compared with $4.45 billion at the end of 2021.

Cumulative net cash provided by operating activities was $9.15 billion compared with $9.31 billion a year ago.

Thermo Fisher has a consistent dividend-paying history, with the five-year annualized dividend growth being 14.9%.

Guidance

Thermo Fisher provided 2023 guidance.

The company expects 2023 revenue to be $45.3 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the metric is pegged at $43.31 billion.

The company projects adjusted EPS to be $23.70. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $22.92.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, estimates revision have trended downward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted -5.85% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

Currently, Thermo Fisher has a subpar Growth Score of D, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, Thermo Fisher has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.


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