8,476 Shares in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Purchased by Diversify Advisory Services LLC

Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 8,476 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,177,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $468,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 553.4% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,137 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 963 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 8.9% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 362,561 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $68,582,000 after purchasing an additional 29,505 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 8.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 137,540 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,017,000 after purchasing an additional 10,961 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:LECO opened at $281.97 on Wednesday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $216.22 and a 52-week high of $310.00. The company has a market capitalization of $15.37 billion, a PE ratio of 28.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.98. The company has a fifty day moving average of $264.68 and a 200-day moving average of $265.69.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.23% and a net margin of 12.35%.Lincoln Electric’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.60 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.57%.

Insider Activity at Lincoln Electric

In other news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of Lincoln Electric stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total transaction of $232,214.45. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on LECO. Barclays boosted their price target on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Lincoln Electric from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $257.00 to $283.00 in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 target price on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Monday, August 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $340.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $307.22.

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.