Man Group plc Acquires New Stake in ESAB Corporation $ESAB

Man Group plc bought a new position in shares of ESAB Corporation (NYSE:ESAB) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 8,704 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $858,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in ESAB during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of ESAB by 109.4% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ESAB by 259.4% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 381 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of ESAB by 3,023.1% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 393 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in ESAB by 185.3% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 642 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 417 shares during the period. 91.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

ESAB Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:ESAB opened at $74.81 on Friday. ESAB Corporation has a 52 week low of $73.21 and a 52 week high of $137.42. The company’s 50 day moving average is $86.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The company has a market cap of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of 26.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.17.

ESAB (NYSE:ESAB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $807.63 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $755.64 million. ESAB had a return on equity of 14.48% and a net margin of 5.75%.ESAB’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.36 earnings per share. ESAB has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.400-5.500 EPS. Equities analysts predict that ESAB Corporation will post 5.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ESAB news, Director Rhonda L. Jordan sold 1,000 shares of ESAB stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total transaction of $95,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $95,000. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 7.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ESAB shares. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of ESAB from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered ESAB from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Roth Capital increased their price objective on ESAB from $142.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. DA Davidson assumed coverage on ESAB in a report on Monday, June 15th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $130.00 target price for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on ESAB from $141.00 to $137.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $138.14.

ESAB Company Profile

ESAB Corporation is a global leader in welding, cutting and gas control technologies, offering a comprehensive portfolio of equipment, consumables and automation solutions. The company’s products include welding power sources, cutting machines, torches, electrodes, filler metals and gas regulating equipment designed to meet the needs of diverse industries. ESAB serves sectors such as construction, shipbuilding, automotive, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing, providing both standard and customized solutions to enhance productivity and quality in metal fabrication and processing.

Founded in 1904 by Swedish inventor Oscar Kjellberg, ESAB pioneered the development of coated welding electrodes, laying the groundwork for modern welding practices.