Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the nine brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $299.00.

Several research firms recently issued reports on LECO. DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 17th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price target on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Monday, May 4th.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at $2,560,954.39. This trade represents a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln Electric

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% in the first 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 period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, United Community Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of Lincoln Electric stock opened at $255.81 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $263.88 and a 200-day moving average of $262.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization 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 has a 1-year low of $214.06 and a 1-year high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.16 earnings per share. Lincoln Electric’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric will post 10.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

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

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.