The life sciences equipment manufacturer saw its stock price slide 10.6% to $261.43 during Friday trading, extending a 14% decline over the past year. The sell-off follows a difficult fiscal period characterized by what Chief Executive Norman Schwartz described as a challenging year in 2025, defined by geopolitical instability and a tightening environment for academic grants.
In section Market Quotes
Bio-Rad Shares Plunge as Research Funding Crunch Hits Margins
Bio-Rad Laboratories shares tumbled more than 10% on Friday after the life sciences firm reported fourth-quarter earnings that missed analyst expectations, citing a significant contraction in academic and biotech research funding.
Erosion of Profit Margins
The company’s profitability took a visible hit as gross margins contracted to 49.8% in the fourth quarter, down from 51.2% in the prior year. This margin compression led to adjusted earnings per share of $2.51, falling 20 cents short of Wall Street consensus estimates. According to Schwartz, both gross and operating performances failed to meet internal projections as the company struggled to navigate the shifting economic landscape.The downturn was particularly pronounced in the company’s core life sciences segment, which reported a 2.6% decline in sales. This slump was driven by several factors currently impacting the broader industry:
- Constrained venture capital and biotech funding.
- Stagnating budgets within academic research institutions.
- Persistent geopolitical uncertainty affecting global operations.
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