Clare Market Investments LLC Purchases New Position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Clare Market Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 4,275 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,065,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 980.8% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, United Community Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric during the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lincoln Electric news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of Lincoln Electric stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total transaction of $232,214.45. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,560,954.39. The trade was a 8.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LECO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price objective on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 17th. DA Davidson assumed coverage on Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $299.00.

Lincoln Electric Trading Down 2.9%

NASDAQ:LECO opened at $255.39 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $263.97 and a 200-day moving average of $262.77. The stock has a market cap of $13.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.21, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.83. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $213.71 and a 1 year high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The company had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. Lincoln Electric’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.82 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

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