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

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $307.2222.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on LECO shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. DA Davidson assumed coverage on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Lincoln Electric from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price target on Lincoln Electric in a research report on Friday, May 1st.

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 0.1%

NASDAQ LECO opened at $282.24 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $266.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $266.03. Lincoln Electric has a 52 week low of $216.22 and a 52 week high of $310.00. The company has a market cap of $15.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.20.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.12. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.35% and a return on equity of 39.23%. The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.60 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lincoln Electric will post 11.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Electric

In other news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were 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 owned 9,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,560,954.39. This represents a 8.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Electric

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 25,707.7% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 16,583,224 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,403,012,000 after acquiring an additional 16,518,967 shares during the last quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 0.7% in the second quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC now owns 34,876 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,260,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lincoln Electric during the 2nd quarter valued at about $206,000. AlphaGrep UK Ltd purchased a new position in Lincoln Electric during the 2nd quarter valued at about $547,000. Finally, denkapparat Operations GmbH increased its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 91.0% during the second quarter. denkapparat Operations GmbH now owns 1,834 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 874 shares in the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.