WealthPLAN Partners LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

WealthPLAN Partners LLC lowered its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 24.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,980 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,292 shares during the period. WealthPLAN Partners LLC’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $2,486,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Lincoln Electric during the fourth quarter worth approximately $64,000. Finally, United Community Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth $65,000. 79.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lincoln Electric Trading Down 2.7%

NASDAQ LECO opened at $255.81 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $263.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $262.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.83. The firm has a market cap of $14.02 billion, a PE ratio of 26.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.20. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $214.06 and a one year high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lincoln Electric news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total transaction of $232,214.45. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,560,954.39. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on LECO. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 17th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson started coverage on Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Electric presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $299.00.

About Lincoln Electric

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.