New York, Jan 10, 2026, 15:53 EST — The market has closed.
- Local media report a WARN notice threatening 421 jobs at Thermo Fisher’s western North Carolina facility
- TMO gained roughly 2% on Friday, staying close to its recent 52-week peak
- Investors are focusing on the JPM healthcare conference and the upcoming Jan. 29 earnings reports for clues on demand and cost trends
Thermo Fisher Scientific is set to wind down its Weaverville-area facility in western North Carolina, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. The document reveals permanent layoffs starting as early as Dec. 31, 2026, with the eventual closure slated for late 2027. The company plans to cut 421 jobs at its 275 Aiken Road site, beginning the first wave of separations at the end of 2026 and continuing through the following year. (WLOS)
WARN, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, is a U.S. requirement for employers to notify in advance of major layoffs or plant shutdowns. The process takes time, but investors often see these moves as clues to shifting demand and how aggressively management is cutting costs.
Thermo’s CEO Marc N. Casper will speak at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Jan. 13. The event, a major investor forum in San Francisco, runs from Jan. 12-15. The company plans to report its fourth-quarter and full-year results on Jan. 29 before U.S. markets open, followed by a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET. (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
Shares climbed 2.04% on Friday, closing at $618.86, while the S&P 500 rose 0.65%. Volume hit 2.3 million shares, surpassing the 50-day average of 1.7 million. The stock finished roughly 1.5% shy of its 52-week high of $628.08, which was set just Tuesday, according to MarketWatch data. (MarketWatch)
The broader health-care sector trailed behind. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) dipped 0.5% on Friday. Among life-science tools, Danaher rose 1.4%, Agilent climbed 1.9%, and Waters remained mostly flat.
Thermo told News 13 the move is about matching operations to current customer demand and boosting efficiency. It added that some product lines will shift to other U.S. plants. The company didn’t reveal how many jobs are affected, and local officials said they weren’t informed beforehand.
Macro factors might drive the stock’s moves in the upcoming session. December’s U.S. consumer price index data drops Jan. 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET, with the Fed’s next policy meeting set for Jan. 27-28. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Investors tuning into JPMorgan’s earnings call will zero in on familiar themes: the speed of lab and biotech spending, any signals on demand from China, and signs that margin pressure might be easing. With a long-dated facility being wound down, a key question is whether the company plans to further consolidate manufacturing—and how that could impact costs and supply chains.
The downside is clear-cut. Site exits might slow, relocations could hit service quality, and one-time costs may rise despite a clean headline. If inflation comes in hot next week and expectations for rate cuts vanish, higher yields could pressure valuation-sensitive areas of health care.
U.S. markets kick off again Monday, with Casper’s Jan. 13 slot at the JPMorgan conference coming up next. Then, all eyes turn to Thermo Fisher’s results and outlook on Jan. 29.
