Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Shares Purchased by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 3.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after buying an additional 1,961 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.11% of Lincoln Electric worth $15,944,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 126.9% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 17,021 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,500,000 after acquiring an additional 9,518 shares during the period. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric in the second quarter worth $247,000. Glenview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the second quarter worth $223,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the second quarter worth $1,561,000. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Electric during the second quarter valued at $250,000. 79.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lincoln Electric news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 9,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,560,954.39. This trade represents a 8.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lincoln Electric Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of LECO opened at $281.23 on Tuesday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $216.22 and a 52-week high of $310.00. 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 firm’s fifty day moving average is $267.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $265.79. The stock has a market cap of $15.33 billion, a PE ratio of 28.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.20.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.35% and a return on equity of 39.23%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.60 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 11.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on LECO. DA Davidson initiated 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. Wall Street Zen raised Lincoln Electric from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. UBS Group began coverage on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Monday, August 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $340.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised Lincoln Electric from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $307.22.

Lincoln Electric 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.