New York, Feb 1, 2026, 15:35 EST — Market closed
- Thermo Fisher shares fell 2.3% on Friday to close at $578.61, marking their fourth consecutive session of losses.
- Investors are grappling with the company’s 2026 profit forecast, which highlighted challenges from U.S. research funding constraints.
- Attention this week turns to Monday’s follow-through, along with peer comparisons and key industry events.
Thermo Fisher Scientific shares fell 2.29% on Friday, closing at $578.61. That marked their fourth day in a row dropping, as weakness in the broader market failed to provide support for life-science tools stocks heading into the week. Volume was heavy, and the stock ended roughly 10% shy of its 52-week peak.
U.S. markets are closed Sunday, so all eyes turn to Monday’s open. The key issue: will the selling pressure after the forecast ease up, or will investors continue pulling back from stocks linked to academic and government lab budgets?
Thermo Fisher’s recent slide stems from management’s 2026 outlook and funding concerns now hitting the stock. The company projects adjusted EPS between $24.22 and $24.80 for 2026, excluding certain items, and flagged potential headwinds from cuts and grant freezes in U.S. academic research. CEO Marc N. Casper noted “customer caution” that should ease as the year progresses. He also highlighted the planned Clario acquisition, which could boost adjusted EPS by 20 to 25 cents by mid-2026, according to LSEG data. Reuters
Thermo Fisher reported Q4 revenue of $12.21 billion and adjusted EPS of $6.57 in its latest earnings release, with full-year 2025 sales hitting $44.56 billion. Casper noted the company “enter[s] 2026 from a position of strength,” though investors remain wary amid uneven biotech funding and spending trends. Thermo Fisher Scientific Investors
The results and associated disclosures were submitted in a Form 8-K to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Jan. 29. (An 8-K serves to promptly inform investors of significant events.)
Friday’s action was notable, even in a weak day for the sector. Shares of Waters Corp dropped 1.19%, while Danaher Corp edged down 0.33%. Thermo Fisher ended up among the bigger large-cap laggards in the U.S. lab tools space.
Danaher has laid out its 2026 outlook for the sector. The company forecasted 3% to 6% non-GAAP core revenue growth for 2026 in its latest results and flagged low-single-digit core revenue gains for Q1. Investors in the broader tools space are now using these figures to gauge Thermo Fisher’s demand assumptions.
Waters will report its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings on Feb. 12, ahead of the U.S. market open. The results might influence sentiment among chromatography and lab-instrument suppliers, even if Thermo Fisher’s outlook remains unaffected.
The near-term risk for Thermo Fisher is clear: if funding for universities and government labs tightens further—or if biotech spending lags before translating into orders—the management’s expectation of improvement “later in the year” could easily push back. On top of that, any delay in closing or hiccups integrating Clario would only deepen uncertainty.
Traders are now waiting to see if Thermo Fisher steadies once the NYSE opens Monday, along with any shifts in customer sentiment as the sector moves into upcoming conferences and sales cycles. The company plans to showcase at SLAS 2026 in Boston from Feb. 7-11, marking a key moment for lab automation product and demand updates.
