MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) Stock Gets Price Target Cut from KeyCorp

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) had its price objective cut by KeyCorp from $145.00 to $140.00 in a report released on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the industrial products company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Tuesday, September 15th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. 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 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. DA Davidson set a $155.00 target price on MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised MSC Industrial Direct from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, MSC Industrial Direct presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.44.

MSC Industrial Direct Stock Performance

NYSE:MSM opened at $114.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. MSC Industrial Direct has a 12-month low of $78.80 and a 12-month high of $133.95. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $123.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $116.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.69 and a beta of 0.82.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.04. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 18.72% and a net margin of 5.55%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that MSC Industrial Direct will post 5.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. This is a boost 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 is presently 87.44%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSC Industrial Direct news, Director Reuben E. Slone acquired 433 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $115.77 per share, for a total transaction of $50,128.41. Following the acquisition, the director owned 433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,128.41. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 19.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. VELA Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct during the second quarter worth about $3,789,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,392,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 27.5% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 53,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,959,000 after buying an additional 11,580 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 27,171 shares during the period. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new position in MSC Industrial Direct in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,039,000. 79.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting MSC Industrial Direct

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 $1.08 billion, exceeding expectations, while adjusted EPS of $1.45 topped the consensus estimate of $1.41. Management also anticipates continued sales growth in the first quarter. MSC Industrial Supply Co. Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded MSM to “overweight” and raised its price target to $135 from $130. KeyCorp maintained an “overweight” rating while lowering its target to $140 from $145; both targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Reuben E. Slone purchased 433 shares for approximately $50,128, providing a modest insider-confidence signal. SEC insider transaction filing
• Neutral Sentiment: MSC Industrial released its fiscal 2026 Form 10-K, giving investors additional detail on its full-year operating performance, risks and strategic initiatives. MSC Industrial Direct Releases Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report on Form 10-K
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with Fastenal and Grainger highlight MSM’s dividend tradeoffs, including the balance between yield, payout safety and long-term growth. Fastenal vs. Grainger vs. MSC Industrial
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP diluted EPS declined to $0.85 from $1.01 a year earlier, while operating income was pressured by asset impairments and other items. Adjusted operating margin was 10.9%, but the underlying margin trend and technology-strategy pivot raised investor concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged inflationary headwinds, increasing concern that labor, product and operating costs could limit the benefit of strong sales growth. These concerns explain why the stock has fallen sharply despite the earnings beat. MSC Industrial Sinks 14% Despite Record Sales

MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile

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.