Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) Given “Hold” Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group reiterated their hold rating on shares of Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) in a research note released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a $280.00 price objective on the industrial products company’s stock, down from their prior price objective of $350.00.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 price target on Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Electric has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $300.57.

Lincoln Electric Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of LECO stock opened at $249.08 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $271.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $250.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.66 billion, a PE ratio of 26.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.82 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Lincoln Electric has a 1-year low of $161.11 and a 1-year high of $310.00.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.09 billion. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.35% and a net margin of 12.30%.Lincoln Electric’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.57 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric will post 9.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Lincoln Electric’s payout ratio is 33.91%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln Electric

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in Lincoln Electric by 72.2% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,156 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $517,000 after acquiring an additional 904 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Electric by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 3,748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $898,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 252.1% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 8,293 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,988,000 after purchasing an additional 5,938 shares during the last quarter. Midway Capital Research & Management acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,468,000. Finally, Tempo Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter worth approximately $988,000. 79.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.