Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. Raises Stake in MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. $MSM

Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. boosted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM) by 15.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 315,698 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,034 shares during the period. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V.’s holdings in MSC Industrial Direct were worth $24,520,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $4,871,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 57.6% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 2,756 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $206,000 after purchasing an additional 1,007 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 329.5% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 145,147 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $10,841,000 after purchasing an additional 111,352 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct in the fourth quarter worth $112,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 37,744 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,819,000 after buying an additional 3,735 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MSM has been the subject of several research reports. Stephens increased their price target on MSC Industrial Direct from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $73.00 to $89.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Loop Capital lifted their target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $74.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $84.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Industrial Alliance Securities set a $89.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a 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 issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $90.33.

MSC Industrial Direct Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE MSM opened at $86.99 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $4.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.57 and a beta of 0.92. MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. has a 52 week low of $68.10 and a 52 week high of $92.68. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $86.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $81.22.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $971.15 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $969.72 million. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 5.30% and a return on equity of 14.99%. MSC Industrial Direct’s revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.33 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 23rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 9th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 9th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. MSC Industrial Direct’s dividend payout ratio is presently 96.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSC Industrial Direct

In related news, SVP Kimberly Shacklett sold 2,130 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.00, for a total value of $195,960.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,657 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,348,444. This trade represents a 12.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 18.30% 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.