Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Has $111.45 Million Stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. reduced its position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 465,054 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 10,360 shares during the quarter. Lincoln Electric makes up 1.1% of Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $111,446,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 3,700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 114 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 3,860.0% in the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 109.4% in the third quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 201 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln Electric Stock Performance

NASDAQ LECO opened at $244.27 on Tuesday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $161.11 and a 1-year high of $310.00. The company has a 50 day moving average of $271.68 and a 200-day moving average of $250.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market cap of $13.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.21, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.24.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.12. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.35% and a net margin of 12.30%.The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.57 EPS. Lincoln Electric’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.91%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on LECO. Wall Street Zen downgraded Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 target price on Lincoln Electric in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Lincoln Electric from $253.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $297.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $304.00.

Lincoln Electric Profile

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: LECO) is a global manufacturer and distributor of welding products, robotic welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment, and surface treatment systems. The company’s portfolio encompasses welding consumables such as electrodes and wires, as well as power sources, torches, and automated welding cells. Lincoln Electric also offers software solutions and training services designed to optimize productivity and quality in fabrication and manufacturing operations.

Founded in 1895 by John C.