NEW YORK, Jan 9, 2026, 12:39 EST — Regular session
Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO.N) shares rose about 1.1% on Friday, recovering some ground after recent losses, after Stifel raised its price target on the life-sciences tools maker to $700 from $583 and kept a “Buy” rating. The stock was up $6.87 at $613.37 in midday trade. 1
The call lands as investors start to look past last year’s choppy lab spending and ask what 2026 demand looks like, especially from biopharma customers that drive orders for instruments, consumables and contract services. This matters now because guidance, not the quarter, tends to set the tone when the stock is already near recent highs.
Stifel said it expects a “solid year” with organic growth — growth that strips out acquisitions and currency swings — returning to the mid-single digits, led by an improvement in biopharma. It also penciled in high-single-digit earnings per share (EPS) growth and said its new target reflects about 26 times its 2027 EPS estimate of $27.19. 2
Thermo Fisher ended Thursday down 1.73% at $606.50, its second straight daily decline, and traded on heavier-than-usual volume, MarketWatch data showed. The stock was still below its 52-week high of $628.08 hit earlier this week. 3
Investors also have a near-term check-in from management at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Thermo Fisher has said CEO Marc Casper is scheduled to present on Jan. 13 at 11:15 a.m. ET. 4
The next hard catalyst is earnings. Thermo Fisher is due to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results before the market opens on Jan. 29, with a conference call set for 8:30 a.m. ET. 5
Thermo Fisher’s setup is shared across the life-sciences tools group, where traders are watching for confirmation that biopharma budgets are loosening and that order patterns are steadier. Danaher (DHR.N) and Agilent (A.N) tend to move on similar read-throughs.
But the downside case is straightforward: if biopharma demand takes longer to recover, or if management’s January outlook leans cautious, the stock can give back gains quickly. With the shares up sharply over the past year, investors have little patience for a weak guide or another soft patch in instrument demand.
Next up: Casper’s comments at the JPMorgan conference on Jan. 13, then Thermo Fisher’s Jan. 29 results and 2026 outlook.
