MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. $MSM Shares Newly Acquired by Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. purchased a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 51,365 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,355,000. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned approximately 0.09% of MSC Industrial Direct as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. purchased a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct during the second quarter valued at approximately $49,939,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 20.9% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,773,133 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $163,607,000 after purchasing an additional 306,436 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 43.0% in the 1st quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 705,775 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $65,122,000 after acquiring an additional 212,074 shares during the last quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct during the 1st quarter worth about $13,756,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 19.5% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 366,572 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $43,604,000 after acquiring an additional 59,877 shares during the period. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MSM has been the subject of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $130.00 target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $152.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $132.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSC Industrial Direct

In related news, Director Reuben E. Slone bought 433 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $115.77 per share, with a total value of $50,128.41. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,128.41. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 19.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

MSC Industrial Direct Stock Performance

Shares of MSC Industrial Direct stock opened at $114.20 on Friday. MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. has a one year low of $78.80 and a one year high of $133.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.78. The company has a market cap of $6.38 billion, a PE ratio of 28.69 and a beta of 0.82. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $123.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.51.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 18.72% and a net margin of 5.55%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.09 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 5.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be given a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 10th. This is an increase from MSC Industrial Direct’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.87. MSC Industrial Direct’s payout ratio is presently 87.44%.

Key Headlines Impacting MSC Industrial Direct

Here are the key news stories impacting MSC Industrial Direct this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter sales rose 10.3% year over year to $1.08 billion, exceeding expectations, while adjusted EPS of $1.45 topped the consensus estimate of $1.41. Management also anticipates continued sales growth in the first quarter. MSC Industrial Supply Co. Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded MSM to “overweight” and raised its price target to $135 from $130. KeyCorp maintained an “overweight” rating while lowering its target to $140 from $145; both targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Reuben E. Slone purchased 433 shares for approximately $50,128, providing a modest insider-confidence signal. SEC insider transaction filing
• Neutral Sentiment: MSC Industrial released its fiscal 2026 Form 10-K, giving investors additional detail on its full-year operating performance, risks and strategic initiatives. MSC Industrial Direct Releases Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report on Form 10-K
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with Fastenal and Grainger highlight MSM’s dividend tradeoffs, including the balance between yield, payout safety and long-term growth. Fastenal vs. Grainger vs. MSC Industrial
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP diluted EPS declined to $0.85 from $1.01 a year earlier, while operating income was pressured by asset impairments and other items. Adjusted operating margin was 10.9%, but the underlying margin trend and technology-strategy pivot raised investor concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged inflationary headwinds, increasing concern that labor, product and operating costs could limit the benefit of strong sales growth. These concerns explain why the stock has fallen sharply despite the earnings beat. MSC Industrial Sinks 14% Despite Record Sales

About MSC Industrial Direct

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc is a distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) supplies. The company serves industrial and institutional customers with products used in machining, manufacturing, facility maintenance and workplace safety.

Its offerings include cutting tools, abrasives, tooling and workholding equipment, machinery, safety products, material-handling supplies, janitorial and facility-maintenance products, and other industrial consumables. MSC also provides technical support, inventory-management programs, vending and other supply-chain services designed to help customers manage procurement and production-related needs.

Founded in 1941, MSC serves customers primarily across the United States and Canada through sales representatives, customer service teams, catalogs, distribution operations and digital commerce platforms.