Vest Financial LLC Trims Stock Position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC trimmed its position by 25% in Lincoln Electric during Q4, selling 4,660 shares and ending the quarter with 13,948 shares valued at $3.342 million, while institutional investors own about 79.61% of the stock.
• Analysts show a mixed view with a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $291.14 (five Buy, three Hold, one Sell) after several target revisions and rating changes.
• Lincoln Electric beat EPS estimates ($2.65 vs. $2.53), delivered revenue up 5.5% year-over-year but slightly below sales estimates, and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.79 (annualized $3.16, yield ~1.2%).

Vest Financial LLC trimmed its position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO - Free Report) by 25.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,948 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 4,660 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $3,342,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. United Community Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter worth about $65,000. Certuity LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 17.5% in the 4th quarter. Certuity LLC now owns 2,535 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $608,000 after purchasing an additional 378 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 21,913 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $5,252,000 after purchasing an additional 590 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 8,355 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $2,002,000 after purchasing an additional 438 shares during the period. Finally, Inscription Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Inscription Capital LLC now owns 3,696 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $886,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. 79.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on LECO shares. Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 price target on Lincoln Electric in a report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Lincoln Electric from $240.00 to $247.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Lincoln Electric from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Lincoln Electric from $300.00 to $264.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and issued a $280.00 price target (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $291.14.

Lincoln Electric Price Performance

LECO stock opened at $257.51 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $170.01 and a 52-week high of $310.00. The stock's 50 day moving average is $262.05 and its two-hundred 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 period in the previous year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. Lincoln Electric's revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Lincoln Electric's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.91%.

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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