Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Stock Holdings Boosted by Boston Trust Walden Corp

Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 0.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 305,870 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,115 shares during the quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $76,186,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, United Community Bank bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. 79.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lincoln Electric Price Performance

Shares of Lincoln Electric stock opened at $258.43 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $263.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $262.54. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $213.71 and a 52 week high of $310.00. The stock has a market cap of $14.16 billion, a PE ratio of 26.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.20.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.16 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.61%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln Electric

In other Lincoln Electric news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of Lincoln Electric stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total value of $232,214.45. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,560,954.39. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on LECO shares. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 price target (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $299.00.

Lincoln Electric 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.