MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) Given Neutral Rating at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) in a research report sent to investors on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a $95.00 price target on the industrial products company’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on MSM. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Zacks Research cut shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, iA Financial set a $95.00 target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Friday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, MSC Industrial Direct presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $90.50.

MSC Industrial Direct Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of MSM stock opened at $95.64 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $85.87 and a 200 day moving average of $87.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 0.82. MSC Industrial Direct has a 1-year low of $68.10 and a 1-year high of $96.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a PE ratio of 26.13 and a beta of 0.84.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The industrial products company reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.04. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 5.37% and a return on equity of 15.73%. The company had revenue of $965.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $962.52 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.86 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that MSC Industrial Direct will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

MSC Industrial Direct Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 14th were paid a $0.87 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 14th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. MSC Industrial Direct’s dividend payout ratio is presently 95.08%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Philip Peller purchased 6,666 shares of MSC Industrial Direct stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $90.14 per share, for a total transaction of $600,873.24. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $859,665.18. The trade was a 232.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Mitchell Jacobson purchased 22,870 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $84.96 per share, with a total value of $1,943,035.20. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,328,192 shares in the company, valued at $197,803,192.32. The trade was a 0.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 19.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of MSC Industrial Direct

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MSM. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 257.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP lifted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 71.7% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 503 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 130.4% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 576 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 52.2% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 595 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc (NYSE: MSM) is a leading distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products serving a broad range of industrial customers across North America. The company offers an extensive portfolio of cutting tools, abrasives, measuring and inspection instruments, fasteners, safety supplies and other essential components used in manufacturing, metalworking and production environments. MSC delivers products through a multi-channel distribution network, including an extensive branch system, e-commerce platform and dedicated sales force.

In addition to its core product offerings, MSC Industrial Direct provides value-added services designed to improve productivity and reduce downtime for its customers.