Danaher's 2Q Results: Postgame Scorecard

Higher costs put a dent in Danaher's (NYSE:DHR) most recent quarter as its net income dropped.

Earnings and Revenue The company posted an EPS above analyst expectations, though revenues fell short of predictions. The company reported EPS of 84 cents a share versus the 80 cents a share estimate and revenues of $4.55 billion versus the $4.58 billion estimate. The estimates of 14 analysts ranged from profit of 79 cents to profit of 84 cents.

The company's net income for the quarter was $600.1 million. This is a 7.5% decline from last year. Revenue climbed 25.2% from $3.71 billion in the same period last year.

Company Fundamental Trends With last quarter's falling profit, The company breaks a streak of two consecutive quarters of year-over-year profit increases.

History Against Expectations The company has now topped analyst estimates for at least the last four quarters. It beat by 3 cents in the first quarter, 3 cents in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year and 3 cents in the third quarter of the last fiscal year.

Official Comment: H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We were pleased by the sequential improvement in core growth and our very strong margin and cash flow performance in the quarter. While the team continues to execute well, the worsening macroeconomic headlines suggest it's prudent to accelerate cost actions while maintaining our growth investments. We believe our focus on capturing market share while accelerating cost reductions, coupled with our optimism on the acquisition front, positions us well for the balance of 2012 and beyond.

Estimates provided by Zacks Investment Research and company fundamentals from Xignite Financials.