Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $81.19 Million Stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its holdings in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO - Free Report) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 338,792 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 7,821 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.62% of Lincoln Electric worth $81,192,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 3,700.0% during the third quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 114 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Electric during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Eastern Bank grew its stake in Lincoln Electric by 109.4% in the third quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 201 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on LECO. Barclays increased their price objective on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Friday, February 13th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lincoln Electric from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $297.00 target price (up from $285.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $296.00.

Lincoln Electric Price Performance

Shares of LECO opened at $271.12 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average is $260.79 and its 200-day moving average is $254.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.85 billion, a PE ratio of 27.98, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.24. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $181.90 and a fifty-two week high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.08. The business 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%. Lincoln Electric's revenue was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.16 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.81 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Lincoln Electric's dividend payout ratio is presently 32.61%.

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.

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