MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $123.4286.

MSM has been the subject of several analyst reports. DA Davidson upped their target price on MSC Industrial Direct from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. KeyCorp lifted their price target on MSC Industrial Direct from $132.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded MSC Industrial Direct from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 4th. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $155.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $130.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st.

MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

NYSE MSM opened at $119.12 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.77 and a beta of 0.83. MSC Industrial Direct has a 1 year low of $78.80 and a 1 year high of $130.46. The business’s fifty day moving average is $121.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $106.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 1.55.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 1st. The industrial products company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.03 billion. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 17.34% and a net margin of 5.91%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.08 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that MSC Industrial Direct will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 8th were paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 8th. MSC Industrial Direct’s payout ratio is 84.06%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 89.9% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 245 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp grew its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 101.0% during the 1st quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 400 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 201 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 42.4% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 514 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 71.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 503 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the fourth quarter worth approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile

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.