Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Shares Sold by WealthPLAN Partners LLC

WealthPLAN Partners LLC cut its holdings in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 24.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,980 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,292 shares during the quarter. WealthPLAN Partners LLC’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $2,486,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hilltop Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 1,832 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 4,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,045,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 4,314 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,034,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,241 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versor Investments LP raised its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 1,563 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $375,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of Lincoln Electric stock opened at $255.81 on Wednesday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $214.06 and a 1 year high of $310.00. The company has a market cap of $14.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $263.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $262.87.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The business had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.16 EPS. Lincoln Electric’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. 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 is currently 32.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Electric

In related 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 value of $232,214.45. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company 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.