Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Has $199.40 Million Stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 72.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 800,524 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 335,470 shares during the quarter. Lincoln Electric accounts for 2.0% of Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. owned about 1.46% of Lincoln Electric worth $199,395,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hilltop Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 1,832 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $439,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 4,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 4,314 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,034,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Versor Investments LP raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 1,563 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $375,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 823 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $197,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. 79.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Lincoln Electric news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total transaction of $232,214.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at $2,560,954.39. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lincoln Electric Stock Up 0.1%

NASDAQ LECO opened at $275.37 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $199.13 and a 52 week high of $310.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.42, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a fifty day moving average of $262.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $261.06.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last announced its earnings results 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. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The business had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.16 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on LECO. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price objective (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen cut Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 target price on Lincoln Electric in a research report on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson initiated coverage on Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $299.00.

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.