ESAB (NYSE:ESAB) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of ESAB (NYSE:ESAB) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of ESAB in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Roth Capital started coverage on shares of ESAB in a report on Friday, September 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of ESAB from $141.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of ESAB from $138.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of ESAB from $147.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.50.

ESAB Price Performance

Shares of ESAB opened at $113.20 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.99. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $113.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $116.93. ESAB has a fifty-two week low of $100.17 and a fifty-two week high of $135.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.87 billion, a PE ratio of 28.51, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.24.

ESAB (NYSE:ESAB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.05. ESAB had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 15.93%. The company had revenue of $727.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $663.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. ESAB’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. ESAB has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.200-5.30 EPS. Equities analysts predict that ESAB will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ESAB Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. ESAB’s payout ratio is 10.08%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ESAB. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in ESAB in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of ESAB by 109.4% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in ESAB during the third quarter worth $58,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in ESAB during the second quarter valued at $59,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in ESAB by 60.4% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 252 shares during the period. 91.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ESAB

ESAB Corporation is a global leader in welding, cutting and gas control technologies, offering a comprehensive portfolio of equipment, consumables and automation solutions. The company’s products include welding power sources, cutting machines, torches, electrodes, filler metals and gas regulating equipment designed to meet the needs of diverse industries. ESAB serves sectors such as construction, shipbuilding, automotive, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing, providing both standard and customized solutions to enhance productivity and quality in metal fabrication and processing.

Founded in 1904 by Swedish inventor Oscar Kjellberg, ESAB pioneered the development of coated welding electrodes, laying the groundwork for modern welding practices.