Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Stock Acquired by Inspire Investing LLC

Key Points

• Inspire Investing increased its Lincoln Electric position by 149.8% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 11,127 shares valued at approximately $2.94 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.61% of the company.
• Lincoln Electric exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.93 versus the $2.81 consensus and revenue of $1.22 billion, up 12% year over year. Analysts expect full-year EPS of $11.18.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend from $0.79 to $0.87 per share, equivalent to a $3.48 annualized payout and a 1.4% yield. Analyst sentiment remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $306.78.

Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO - Free Report) by 149.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,127 shares of the industrial products company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,673 shares during the quarter. Inspire Investing LLC's holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $2,944,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 5.1% during the third quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 859 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $227,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lincoln Electric by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Earned Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,177 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd raised its stake in Lincoln Electric by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 4,220 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,117,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lincoln Electric by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 606 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $151,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Jackson Thornton Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,241 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $318,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.61% of the company's stock.

Lincoln Electric Price Performance

LECO stock opened at $255.96 on Friday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $216.22 and a 1 year high of $310.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.98 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.95 billion, a PE ratio of 25.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.21. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $268.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $264.40.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.23% and a net margin of 12.35%. The firm's revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.60 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 11.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 31st. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from Lincoln Electric's previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. Lincoln Electric's payout ratio is presently 31.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on LECO. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Lincoln Electric from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $257.00 to $283.00 in a research note on Monday, August 10th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Monday, August 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $340.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lincoln Electric from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $271.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $306.78.

About Lincoln Electric

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc NASDAQ: LECO is a global manufacturer of welding, cutting and industrial automation products. The company serves customers in industries including construction, manufacturing, energy, transportation and heavy equipment.

Its product portfolio includes arc-welding equipment, welding consumables such as electrodes and welding wire, plasma-cutting systems, welding accessories and personal protective equipment. Lincoln Electric also provides robotic and automated welding systems, industrial automation solutions, application engineering, training and maintenance services.

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