William Blair Investment Management LLC Invests $49.67 Million in ESAB Corporation $ESAB

Key Points

• William Blair Investment Management acquired 503,632 ESAB shares worth approximately $49.67 million, representing about 0.81% of the company. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 91.13% of ESAB.
• ESAB’s latest quarterly revenue rose 12.9% year over year to $807.63 million, beating estimates, although adjusted earnings of $1.33 per share fell short of the $1.37 consensus forecast. The company maintained fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $5.40–$5.50.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with seven Buy ratings and one Hold, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a $138.14 average price target. Shares recently traded at $81.49, while a company director sold 1,000 shares at $95 each.

William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in ESAB Corporation (NYSE:ESAB - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 503,632 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $49,673,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned about 0.81% of ESAB as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ESAB. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC acquired a new position in ESAB during the 2nd quarter worth about $36,547,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of ESAB in the 2nd quarter valued at about $524,533,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of ESAB in the second quarter valued at about $703,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ESAB in the second quarter valued at about $56,678,000. Finally, Diamond Hill Capital Management LLC Investment Advisor acquired a new stake in shares of ESAB in the second quarter valued at about $51,843,000. 91.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at ESAB

In other ESAB news, Director Rhonda L. Jordan sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total value of $95,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $95,000. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 7.20% of the company's stock.

ESAB Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ESAB opened at $81.49 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.19. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $90.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $99.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. ESAB Corporation has a 1-year low of $77.34 and a 1-year high of $137.42.

ESAB (NYSE:ESAB - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.04). ESAB had a net margin of 5.75% and a return on equity of 14.48%. The firm had revenue of $807.63 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $755.64 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.36 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. ESAB has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.400-5.500 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that ESAB Corporation will post 5.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on ESAB. Roth Capital lifted their price objective on ESAB from $142.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on shares of ESAB from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of ESAB in a report on Monday, June 15th. They set a "buy" rating and a $130.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of ESAB from $141.00 to $137.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of ESAB from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $138.14.

ESAB Company Profile

ESAB Corporation is a global leader in welding, cutting and gas control technologies, offering a comprehensive portfolio of equipment, consumables and automation solutions. The company's products include welding power sources, cutting machines, torches, electrodes, filler metals and gas regulating equipment designed to meet the needs of diverse industries. ESAB serves sectors such as construction, shipbuilding, automotive, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing, providing both standard and customized solutions to enhance productivity and quality in metal fabrication and processing.

Founded in 1904 by Swedish inventor Oscar Kjellberg, ESAB pioneered the development of coated welding electrodes, laying the groundwork for modern welding practices.

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