Orange Investment Advisors Inc. Sells 3,500 Shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Orange Investment Advisors Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 20.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,886 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 3,500 shares during the period. Orange Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $3,459,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hilltop Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 2.5% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 1.2% in the 4th 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 acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 4,314 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,034,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 1,563 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $375,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 8.7% during 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 in the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln Electric Stock Performance

NASDAQ LECO opened at $266.56 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $14.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.51, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $263.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $262.07. 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 12-month low of $205.36 and a 12-month high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm 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 company posted $2.16 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LECO has been the subject of a number of research reports. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $280.00 price target (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Lincoln Electric has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $299.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Electric

In related news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total value of $232,214.45. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at $2,560,954.39. This represents a 8.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.68% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.