Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Makes New Investment in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 2,922 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $728,000.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LECO. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new position in Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter worth approximately $64,000. United Community Bank bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 980.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the company’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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,560,954.39. This represents 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 link. 1.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of LECO opened at $258.43 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $263.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $262.54. The company has a market cap of $14.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $213.71 and a twelve month high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.