Orange Investment Advisors Inc. Reduces Stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Orange Investment Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 14.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,386 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 2,987 shares during the period. Orange Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $4,167,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of LECO. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Lincoln Electric by 3,700.0% in the third quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 114 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Electric in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in Lincoln Electric during the fourth quarter worth about $64,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Barclays lifted their target price on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Monday, May 4th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Friday, February 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Electric currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $296.00.

Lincoln Electric Price Performance

LECO stock opened at $260.08 on Friday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $188.65 and a one year high of $310.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market cap of $14.25 billion, a PE ratio of 26.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $257.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $256.15.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.33% and a net margin of 12.38%.The business had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.16 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

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

About Lincoln Electric

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.