, Columnist
What's Thermo Fisher Planning?
The company may raise money, but didn't say why.
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Thermo Fisher Scientific, a $55 billion life-science company with a reputation for dealmaking, may be up to something. Key word: may.
The company dropped a curious filing this week -- a mixed securities shelf registration -- detailing how it may or may not issue debt or equity securities in the future that may or may not be used for acquisitions. It's all very vague, which for deal speculators is akin to dangling candy in front of a child. When might Thermo Fisher sell these securities? "From time to time." And what would the money be for? "General corporate purposes." You don't say.