MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) Stock: Insider Reuben Slone Acquires 433 Shares

MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM) Director Reuben Slone acquired 433 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $115.77 per share, with a total value of $50,128.41. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,128.41. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

MSC Industrial Direct Stock Performance

Shares of MSM stock traded up $1.77 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $114.20. 2,319,500 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 744,065. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.58 and a beta of 0.82. 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 Company, Inc. has a 12-month low of $78.80 and a 12-month high of $133.95. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $123.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $116.53.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 17.34% and a net margin of 5.91%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.09 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

MSC Industrial Direct Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be paid a $0.89 dividend. This is an increase from MSC Industrial Direct’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.87. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 10th. MSC Industrial Direct’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 84.06%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MSM has been the topic of a number of research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Monday, July 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $155.00 target price on the stock. Stephens upgraded shares of MSC Industrial Direct from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $130.00 price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Friday. KeyCorp decreased their price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $145.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, DA Davidson set a $155.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.44.

MSC Industrial Direct News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting MSC Industrial Direct this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter sales rose 10.3% year over year to $1.079 billion, exceeding expectations, while adjusted EPS of $1.45 surpassed consensus estimates near $1.39–$1.41. Management also expects sales growth in the next quarter. MSC Industrial fiscal 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded MSM to “overweight” and raised its price target to $135 from $130. KeyCorp maintained an “overweight” rating while setting a $140 target, indicating analysts see substantial upside after the selloff. Stephens analyst action
• Neutral Sentiment: The company filed its fiscal 2026 annual report, providing additional detail on its financial results, operating conditions and strategic priorities. MSC Industrial annual report
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend comparisons with Fastenal and Grainger portray MSC Industrial as an income investment with a different balance of yield, safety and growth, but do not represent a direct change to the company’s dividend policy. Industrial distributor dividend comparison
• Negative Sentiment: Reported operating income was $72.8 million and GAAP EPS declined to $0.85 from $1.01 a year earlier, despite higher sales. An asset impairment and other adjustments reduced the quality of the headline earnings growth and prompted investors to reassess the company’s investment narrative. MSC Industrial asset impairment analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Management cited inflationary headwinds, while margin pressure and a technology-strategy pivot raised concerns about near-term profitability and execution. Those issues outweighed the sales and adjusted-EPS beats in the initial market reaction. MSC Industrial margin analysis

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MSM. VELA Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in MSC Industrial Direct in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,789,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new position in MSC Industrial Direct during the 2nd quarter worth $1,392,000. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 27.5% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 53,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,959,000 after acquiring an additional 11,580 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 236,504 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,132,000 after acquiring an additional 27,171 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the 2nd quarter worth $1,039,000. 79.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About MSC Industrial Direct

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc is a distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) supplies. The company serves industrial and institutional customers with products used in machining, manufacturing, facility maintenance and workplace safety.

Its offerings include cutting tools, abrasives, tooling and workholding equipment, machinery, safety products, material-handling supplies, janitorial and facility-maintenance products, and other industrial consumables. MSC also provides technical support, inventory-management programs, vending and other supply-chain services designed to help customers manage procurement and production-related needs.

Founded in 1941, MSC serves customers primarily across the United States and Canada through sales representatives, customer service teams, catalogs, distribution operations and digital commerce platforms.