Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (LECO) To Go Ex-Dividend on March 31st

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be given a dividend of 0.79 per share by the industrial products company on Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st.

Lincoln Electric has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 30 consecutive years. Lincoln Electric has a payout ratio of 31.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Lincoln Electric to earn $10.08 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.16 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 31.3%.

Lincoln Electric Trading Down 1.4%

LECO opened at $248.00 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. Lincoln Electric has a twelve month low of $161.11 and a twelve month high of $310.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $272.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $250.50.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.09 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.30% and a return on equity of 39.35%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.57 EPS. Analysts predict that Lincoln Electric will post 9.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on LECO shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $240.00 target price on Lincoln Electric and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Barclays raised their target price on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $297.00 price target (up from $285.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 price objective on Lincoln Electric in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Electric presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $302.83.

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.