Lazard Asset Management LLC Increases Position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 26.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 12,026 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,511 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $2,995,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LECO. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lincoln Electric during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, United Community Bank bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter worth about $65,000. Institutional investors own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Lincoln Electric

Here are the key news stories impacting Lincoln Electric this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings beat estimates: Lincoln Electric reported adjusted earnings of $2.93 per share, above the consensus estimate of $2.81 and up from $2.60 in the year-ago quarter. Lincoln Electric Holdings Tops Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue substantially exceeded forecasts: Sales reached $1.22 billion, compared with analyst expectations of approximately $1.17 billion, representing 12% year-over-year growth. Lincoln Electric Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Record operating performance: Management described the quarter as a record period for sales, profitability, earnings and cash flow, reinforcing the view that demand and execution remain favorable across the industrial products business. Lincoln Electric Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional investor context: The earnings-call transcript and presentation provide management’s detailed discussion of quarterly results, business conditions and the outlook. Investors will likely focus on forward demand trends and any changes to full-year expectations. Lincoln Electric 2026 Q2 Results Earnings Call Presentation

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 4.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:LECO opened at $261.31 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $259.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $263.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $216.22 and a 12-month high of $310.00. The company has a market capitalization of $14.32 billion, a PE ratio of 26.10, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.20.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.81 by $0.12. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.23% and a net margin of 12.35%.The firm had revenue of $1.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.60 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.85 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. Lincoln Electric’s payout ratio is 31.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LECO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $250.00 to $253.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. DA Davidson started coverage on Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 target price on Lincoln Electric in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $299.38.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Electric

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 value of $232,214.45. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at $2,560,954.39. This represents a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Lincoln Electric

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.