Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. $LECO Shares Sold by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 139,051 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 17,963 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lincoln Electric were worth $33,322,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of LECO. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Lincoln Electric by 3,700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 114 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln Electric during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln Electric during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Lincoln Electric by 980.8% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 281 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Electric in the fourth quarter worth $64,000. 79.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln Electric Price Performance

LECO stock opened at $260.51 on Thursday. Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $188.65 and a 52-week high of $310.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $258.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $255.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.24.

Lincoln Electric (NASDAQ:LECO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Electric had a return on equity of 39.33% and a net margin of 12.38%.The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.16 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. will post 10.81 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln Electric Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Lincoln Electric’s dividend payout ratio is currently 32.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently issued reports on LECO shares. Barclays upped their price objective on Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Lincoln Electric from $280.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $280.00 target price (down from $350.00) on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lincoln Electric from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $330.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Electric in a report on Friday, February 13th. Four equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $296.00.

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.