Lawson Kroeker Investment Management Inc. NE Sells 2,112 Shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Lawson Kroeker Investment Management Inc. NE trimmed its position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 50,661 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,112 shares during the quarter. Lincoln Electric accounts for 2.2% of Lawson Kroeker Investment Management Inc. NE’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Lawson Kroeker Investment Management Inc. NE’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $11,947,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in Lincoln Electric by 82.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 155 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the 2nd quarter worth $64,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 619.3% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 410 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. Finally, YANKCOM Partnership lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. YANKCOM Partnership now owns 601 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 79.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ LECO opened at $245.35 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $237.22 and a 200 day moving average of $232.84. The stock has a market cap of $13.50 billion, a PE ratio of 26.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $161.11 and a 12-month high of $252.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 40.33% and a net margin of 12.56%.The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.05 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.14 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 9.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. This is a positive change from Lincoln Electric’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on LECO. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $265.00 to $252.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Barclays boosted their target price on Lincoln Electric from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Zacks Research downgraded Lincoln Electric from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Roth Capital set a $285.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $244.83.

Lincoln Electric 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.