Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Invests $1.09 Million in MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM)

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH has acquired a significant stake in MSC Industrial Direct, purchasing 14,058 shares worth approximately $1.09 million.
• Recent analyst ratings for MSC Industrial Direct show price target increases from multiple brokerages, with a consensus price target of $90.33 and an average rating of "Moderate Buy."
• MSC Industrial Direct recently reported earnings exceeding expectations, with an EPS of $1.08 for the quarter, along with a quarterly dividend of $0.85, providing a dividend yield of 4.0%.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 14,058 shares of the industrial products company's stock, valued at approximately $1,092,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MSM. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 895.0% during the 1st quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 597 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 537 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 47.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 681 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 51.1% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 719 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in MSC Industrial Direct in the 1st quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.26% of the company's stock.

MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

Shares of MSM traded down $1.56 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $85.06. 477,635 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 664,636. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $68.10 and a fifty-two week high of $92.68. The company has a market cap of $4.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.03 and a beta of 0.92. The firm's fifty day moving average is $85.06 and its 200 day moving average is $80.90.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.05. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 14.99%. The firm had revenue of $971.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $969.72 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.33 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 9th were paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 9th. MSC Industrial Direct's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.05%.

Insider Transactions at MSC Industrial Direct

In other MSC Industrial Direct news, SVP Kimberly Shacklett sold 2,130 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.00, for a total transaction of $195,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 14,657 shares in the company, valued at $1,348,444. This represents a 12.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 18.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MSM shares. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on MSC Industrial Direct from $84.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Stephens raised their price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of MSC Industrial Direct to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 6th. Industrial Alliance Securities set a $89.00 target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $73.00 to $89.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $90.33.

MSC Industrial Direct Profile

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's MRO products include cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking products, fasteners, flat stock products, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies.