Q3 EPS Estimates for MSC Industrial Direct Raised by KeyCorp

Key Points

• Analyst KeyCorp raised its Q3 2026 EPS estimate for MSC to $1.26 (from $1.24), maintained an Overweight rating and a $117 price target, and projects FY2027 EPS of $5.22.
• MSC's most recent quarter missed expectations, reporting EPS of $0.82 versus consensus $0.84 and revenue of $917.8M versus $931.7M, with revenue up 2.9% year‑over‑year.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.87 (a 3.3% yield) and its shares have traded near a 12‑month high (~$104), while institutional investors own about 79% of the stock with sizable recent purchases by firms like Auto Owners Insurance.

MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM - Free Report) - Equities researchers at KeyCorp boosted their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report released on Sunday, April 26th. KeyCorp analyst K. Newman now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $1.26 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.24. KeyCorp has a "Overweight" rating and a $117.00 price target on the stock. The consensus estimate for MSC Industrial Direct's current full-year earnings is $4.33 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for MSC Industrial Direct's Q1 2027 earnings at $1.16 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.54 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.51 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $5.22 EPS.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 1st. The industrial products company reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.02). MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 16.06% and a net margin of 5.42%.The firm had revenue of $917.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $931.69 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.72 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on MSM. iA Financial set a $95.00 target price on MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $94.29.

MSC Industrial Direct Trading Up 6.7%

Shares of NYSE MSM opened at $104.34 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.83 billion, a PE ratio of 28.05 and a beta of 0.79. MSC Industrial Direct has a twelve month low of $74.30 and a twelve month high of $104.50. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $92.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $88.87.

MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 8th were issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 8th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. MSC Industrial Direct's dividend payout ratio is 93.55%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 12,181.8% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 3,254,670 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $273,718,000 after buying an additional 3,228,170 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct during the fourth quarter worth approximately $59,380,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp increased its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 213.7% during the fourth quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 619,600 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $52,108,000 after buying an additional 422,100 shares during the period. SG Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 867.0% in the third quarter. SG Capital Management LLC now owns 360,988 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $33,261,000 after acquiring an additional 323,659 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 3,393.6% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 275,432 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $23,164,000 after acquiring an additional 267,548 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.26% of the company's stock.

About MSC Industrial Direct

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc NYSE: MSM is a leading distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products serving a broad range of industrial customers across North America. The company offers an extensive portfolio of cutting tools, abrasives, measuring and inspection instruments, fasteners, safety supplies and other essential components used in manufacturing, metalworking and production environments. MSC delivers products through a multi-channel distribution network, including an extensive branch system, e-commerce platform and dedicated sales force.

In addition to its core product offerings, MSC Industrial Direct provides value-added services designed to improve productivity and reduce downtime for its customers.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.