Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) EVP Michael Whitehead Sells 845 Shares

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) EVP Michael Whitehead sold 845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total transaction of $232,214.45. Following the completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 2.2%

LECO stock traded up $5.80 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $275.37. The company had a trading volume of 684,599 shares, compared to its average volume of 367,817. The company has a market capitalization of $15.09 billion, a PE ratio of 28.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $261.38 and a 200 day moving average of $260.54. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $199.13 and a 12 month high of $310.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The company’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.16 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given 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 yield of 1.1%. Lincoln Electric’s payout ratio is 32.61%.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln Electric

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 8,025 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,999,000 after buying an additional 1,445 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 85.4% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 4,481 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,064 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. boosted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 56.7% in the first quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 27,987 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $6,971,000 after acquiring an additional 10,127 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Lincoln Electric in the first quarter worth $582,000. Finally, Bull Harbor Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the first quarter worth $985,000. 79.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LECO shares. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Five 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $299.00.

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.