An activist investment firm has acquired a substantial ownership position in diagnostics company Bio-Rad Laboratories and intends to pressure the company to improve its declining stock performance, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Sunday.
The company’s stock value has declined more than 18% during the current year.
The investment firm has also purchased shares in a German biopharma equipment company called Sartorius, in which Bio-Rad holds an investment position, the WSJ report stated, referencing sources with knowledge of the situation.
Reuters was unable to immediately confirm the report. The investment firm, Bio-Rad, and Sartorius did not provide immediate responses to comment requests.
The WSJ report did not reveal the specific amount of shares the investment firm holds in either Bio-Rad or Sartorius.
The activist investor, which has maintained significant involvement in the healthcare industry, considers Sartorius to be a high-caliber company with substantial growth opportunities, according to the report.
Bio-Rad recently reduced its revenue growth projections for 2026 following a first-quarter net loss of $527 million. The company blamed the loss on changes in the fair market value of its Sartorius AG investment.
Bio-Rad’s stock price ended Friday’s trading at $246.53, resulting in a market value of $6.69 billion, based on LSEG data.
