Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Decreases Stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. cut its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 5.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 475,414 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 29,065 shares during the quarter. Lincoln Electric comprises approximately 1.0% of Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned 0.86% of Lincoln Electric worth $112,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Lincoln Electric by 3.9% in the second quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,156 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $240,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,752 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $363,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. YANKCOM Partnership increased its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 8.7% in the second quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 601 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the period. Claret Asset Management Corp raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 5.0% during the second quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 1,112 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $231,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Lincoln Electric by 2.1% during the second quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,709 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $562,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 1.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:LECO opened at $251.71 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $237.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $234.64. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $161.11 and a 1 year high of $252.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.39 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.05 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.56% and a return on equity of 40.33%. The firm’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.14 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 9.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This is a boost from Lincoln Electric’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Lincoln Electric’s payout ratio is currently 33.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on LECO shares. Zacks Research cut Lincoln Electric from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Barclays upped their price objective on Lincoln Electric from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Roth Capital set a $285.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Lincoln Electric presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $244.83.

Lincoln Electric Company 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.