Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $265.16 and last traded at $265.6370, with a volume of 213025 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $256.87.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on LECO. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $260.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric from $252.00 to $253.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Lincoln Electric from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Roth Mkm set a $285.00 price target on Lincoln Electric and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.00.

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 4.2%

The company has a market capitalization of $14.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.67, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $246.48 and a 200 day moving average of $239.25.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.39 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 40.33% and a net margin of 12.56%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.05 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.14 earnings per share. Lincoln Electric’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 9.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln Electric

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 3,700.0% in the 3rd 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 period. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Lincoln Electric in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its stake in Lincoln Electric by 82.4% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 155 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 3,860.0% during the third quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 198 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

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.