WCM Investment Management LLC Sells 14,385 Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM)

WCM Investment Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM) by 69.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,375 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 14,385 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC’s holdings in MSC Industrial Direct were worth $466,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct during the 3rd quarter worth about $12,170,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,567,038 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $134,859,000 after buying an additional 113,878 shares during the period. Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 20.5% in the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 618,103 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,166,000 after purchasing an additional 105,265 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 11.1% in the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 918,235 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $79,023,000 after buying an additional 91,369 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 367.3% during the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 71,794 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,179,000 after purchasing an additional 56,430 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

MSC Industrial Direct Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE:MSM opened at $80.58 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.93 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $80.45 and a 200-day moving average of $82.01. The company has a market cap of $4.50 billion, a PE ratio of 19.23 and a beta of 0.91. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. has a one year low of $72.79 and a one year high of $104.76.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 8th. The industrial products company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.13. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 17.80%. The firm had revenue of $928.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $904.90 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.25 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. will post 3.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 15th. MSC Industrial Direct’s payout ratio is 81.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens downgraded shares of MSC Industrial Direct from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $85.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on MSC Industrial Direct from $87.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $83.80.

Insider Buying and Selling at MSC Industrial Direct

In related news, Director Philip Peller sold 900 shares of MSC Industrial Direct stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.07, for a total value of $80,163.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $360,199.08. This trade represents a 18.20 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 18.30% of the company’s stock.

About MSC Industrial Direct

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's MRO products include cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking products, fasteners, flat stock products, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies.