What is William Blair's Forecast for MSM Q4 Earnings?

Key Points

• William Blair has reduced its earnings per share estimate for MSC Industrial Direct for Q4 2026 from $1.11 to $1.10, while the consensus estimate for the full year is $3.57 per share.
• MSC Industrial Direct recently reported Q2 earnings of $1.08 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, but with a revenue decline of 0.8% compared to the same quarter last year.
• Investors remain optimistic, with multiple upgrades and a current consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $90.33 for MSC Industrial Direct stock.

MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM - Free Report) - Stock analysts at William Blair decreased their Q4 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a note issued to investors on Monday, July 28th. William Blair analyst R. Merkel now anticipates that the industrial products company will post earnings of $1.10 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.11. The consensus estimate for MSC Industrial Direct's current full-year earnings is $3.57 per share.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $971.15 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $969.72 million. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 14.99% and a net margin of 5.30%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.33 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised MSC Industrial Direct from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $73.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Loop Capital upped their target price on MSC Industrial Direct from $74.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. Wolfe Research raised MSC Industrial Direct to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 6th. Stephens increased their price target on MSC Industrial Direct from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Industrial Alliance Securities set a $89.00 price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $90.33.

MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MSM traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $85.27. The company had a trading volume of 163,332 shares, compared to its average volume of 617,655. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $85.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $80.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.92 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market cap of $4.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.09 and a beta of 0.92. MSC Industrial Direct has a twelve month low of $68.10 and a twelve month high of $92.68.

MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of MSC Industrial Direct

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in MSC Industrial Direct during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Clearstead Trust LLC bought a new position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Investment Management Corp VA ADV grew its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 207.8% in the 1st quarter. Investment Management Corp VA ADV now owns 397 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct in the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 537 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, 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.