CM Wealth Advisors LLC Makes New $35.79 Million Investment in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO

CM Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 134,394 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $35,789,000. Lincoln Electric accounts for about 6.5% of CM Wealth Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. CM Wealth Advisors LLC owned 0.25% of Lincoln Electric as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Lincoln Electric Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ LECO opened at $279.56 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $15.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $265.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $265.77. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $216.22 and a 1 year high of $310.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.98.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.81 by $0.12. Lincoln Electric had a net margin of 12.35% and a return on equity of 39.23%. The company had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.60 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 11.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a $0.79 dividend. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.57%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln Electric

In other news, EVP Michael J. Whitehead sold 845 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.81, for a total value of $232,214.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 9,319 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,560,954.39. This represents a 8.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Lincoln Electric from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $257.00 to $283.00 in a report on Monday, August 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $275.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a research note on Friday, May 1st. DA Davidson began coverage on Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lincoln Electric from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $307.22.

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.