MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM) Director Sells $80,163.00 in Stock

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM) Director Philip Peller sold 900 shares of the 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 transaction, the director now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $360,199.08. The trade was a 18.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

Shares of MSM opened at $83.07 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $83.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $83.52. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.05 and a 1-year high of $104.76. The company has a market cap of $4.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.14 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($0.05). MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 19.35%. The business had revenue of $952.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $959.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. MSC Industrial Direct’s quarterly revenue was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. will post 3.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. This is an increase from MSC Industrial Direct’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.09%. MSC Industrial Direct’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 74.24%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MSM shares. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $87.00 to $73.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $90.20.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 1,142.3% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 442.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 309 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quest Partners LLC raised its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 35,300.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 354 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile

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.