Trillium Asset Management LLC Lowers Position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Trillium Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 16.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,286 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 7,176 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC owned about 0.06% of Lincoln Electric worth $8,790,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LECO. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 980.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $64,000. United Community Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 3,950.0% during the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 324 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 316 shares during the period. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln Electric Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of LECO opened at $258.25 on Friday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $199.13 and a 52-week high of $310.00. The company has a market capitalization of $14.15 billion, a PE ratio of 26.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.21. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $259.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $259.67. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.33% and a net margin of 12.38%.The business had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.16 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.81 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 32.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LECO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 target price (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 target price on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, February 13th. KeyCorp upped their target price on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Electric presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $296.00.

Lincoln Electric Company 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.