Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Shares Sold by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC decreased its position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 25.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 13,948 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 4,660 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $3,342,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Lincoln Electric by 3,700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 114 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Electric during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in Lincoln Electric by 3,860.0% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Finally, Eastern Bank boosted its position in Lincoln Electric by 109.4% during the 3rd quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 201 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 1.0%

LECO opened at $257.51 on Thursday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $170.01 and a one year high of $310.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.82. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $262.05 and its 200-day moving average is $253.39. The company has a market capitalization of $14.12 billion, a PE ratio of 27.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.28.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.12. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.35% and a net margin of 12.30%.The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid 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 of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. Lincoln Electric’s payout ratio is currently 33.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LECO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price objective (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $297.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Lincoln Electric from $240.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lincoln Electric has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $291.14.

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.