New York, Jan 28, 2026, 20:50 ET — Market closed
- Danaher shares fell 4.8% to close at $224.54, after the company issued its 2026 profit forecast, which came in close to what the market anticipated.
- The life sciences and diagnostics group surpassed fourth-quarter profit and sales estimates, but investors zeroed in on how quickly the recovery was unfolding.
- Traders are watching Thursday’s session closely for follow-through, with peer Thermo Fisher set to report before the bell.
Shares of Danaher slipped 4.8% to close Wednesday at $224.54, following the release of its 2026 profit outlook that aligned closely with Wall Street expectations.
This is significant because Danaher plays a crucial role in the lab tools supply chain. Its order trends often serve as a near-instant barometer for spending by drugmakers, biotech investments, and diagnostic testing activity.
The earnings season has thrown the sector some curveballs. Investors are looking for clearer signs that the swings in post-pandemic demand and inventory shifts are settling down, along with a pickup in pharma and biotech spending.
Danaher expects adjusted earnings between $8.35 and $8.50 per share for 2026, nearly matching the $8.42 consensus from analysts, according to LSEG data. The company topped Q4 profit and revenue estimates, driven by easing policy uncertainty and a rebound in pharma spending that offset slumps in academic research funding, Reuters reported. 1
Danaher reported about $6.8 billion in revenue for Q4, with adjusted earnings hitting $2.23 per share. CEO Rainer Blair pointed to a “strong finish to the year,” citing results that outpaced expectations across multiple segments. He singled out bioprocessing for particularly strong gains, along with growing momentum in diagnostics and life sciences. 2
On the earnings call, CFO Matt McGrew said the 2026 outlook aims for “the low end of the core growth… think 3% to 4%,” boosted by savings from previous cost-cutting efforts. Danaher’s core revenue strips out currency swings and acquisition effects, aligned with its non-GAAP sales measure. 3
Trading volume spiked to about 7.8 million shares, over double the stock’s 50-day average, according to MarketWatch. Danaher lagged behind competitors as Thermo Fisher fell 2.6% and Abbott dropped roughly 2.0% on the session. 4
Some analysts downplayed the surprise factor. Vijay Kumar of Evercore ISI nudged up his price target to $254 from $250, keeping an Outperform rating intact. He described the quarter as “generally in-line with no major surprises,” echoing prior company guidance. 5
The risk is clear: if early-stage biotech and academic lab funding stays constrained, or if pricing pressures from China come back, Danaher’s recovery might stall near the bottom of its forecast range. Small earnings misses tend to hit these stocks hard, especially with investors already skeptical and waiting to be convinced.
Markets are closed today, shifting focus to Thursday’s session (Jan. 29) to gauge whether the selloff will persist or reverse as models adjust. Thermo Fisher plans to report its fourth-quarter results before the open, with a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET. 6
