Sei Investments Co. Has $18.75 Million Position in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

Sei Investments Co. lessened its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 10.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 75,254 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 9,014 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned about 0.14% of Lincoln Electric worth $18,747,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in LECO. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Lincoln Electric by 8.6% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Lincoln Electric by 553.4% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,137 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $215,000 after purchasing an additional 963 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Lincoln Electric by 8.9% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 362,561 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $68,582,000 after buying an additional 29,505 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 8.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 137,540 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,017,000 after buying an additional 10,961 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln Electric by 980.8% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.61% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of NASDAQ LECO opened at $257.99 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $14.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.62, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $216.22 and a 12 month high of $310.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $260.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $263.72.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.38% and a return on equity of 39.33%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.16 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,319 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,560,954.39. This trade represents a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.68% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on LECO. Weiss Ratings raised Lincoln Electric from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Lincoln Electric from $250.00 to $253.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lincoln Electric from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lincoln Electric currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $299.38.

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.