Lincoln Electric
LECO
$268.91
-0.07%
Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of welding, cutting, and brazing products, operating within the industrials sector's manufacturing tools and accessories industry. The company is a dominant market leader known for its comprehensive portfolio of arc-welding solutions, automation, and consumables, serving a diverse client base across heavy fabrication, construction, and energy sectors. The current investor narrative centers on the company's resilience and growth trajectory amidst industrial cyclicality, with recent financial performance showing solid revenue growth and profitability, positioning it as a stable industrial play with a focus on operational efficiency and market share gains.…
LECO
Lincoln Electric
$268.91
LECO 12-Month Price Forecast
Wall Street consensus
Most Wall Street analysts maintain a constructive view on Lincoln Electric's 12-month outlook, with a consensus price target around $349.58 and implied upside of +30.0% versus the current price.
Average Target
$349.58
3 analysts
Implied Upside
+30.0%
vs. current price
Analyst Count
3
covering this stock
Price Range
$215 - $350
Analyst target range
Analyst coverage for Lincoln Electric is limited, with only 3 analysts providing estimates, indicating this may be a mid-cap stock with less institutional research focus, which can contribute to higher volatility and less efficient price discovery. The consensus sentiment, based on the sparse data, appears mixed, with estimated EPS for the coming period averaging $19.57, ranging from a low of $19.17 to a high of $19.80, showing very tight clustering and thus high conviction on near-term earnings, but no explicit price target or recommendation distribution is provided in the dataset. The institutional ratings data shows recent actions including a downgrade from Jefferies from 'Buy' to 'Hold' in March 2026, while Morgan Stanley maintains an 'Underweight' and firms like Keybanc and Barclays maintain 'Overweight' ratings, reflecting a divergence in analyst views on the stock's near-term prospects. The wide dispersion in ratings—from Underweight to Overweight—coupled with the low number of covering analysts, signals higher uncertainty and debate regarding the stock's valuation and cyclical positioning, making the consensus signal weaker than for more widely covered peers.
LECO Technical Analysis
The stock is in a sustained uptrend, evidenced by a robust 1-year price change of 36.88% and a current price of $275.23, which positions it at approximately 75% of its 52-week range ($199.13 to $310.00). This placement near the upper third of the range suggests strong momentum but also indicates the stock is not at extreme overbought levels, leaving room for further advancement if fundamental catalysts persist. Recent short-term momentum shows acceleration, with a 1-month gain of 8.44% and a 3-month gain of 10.22%, both outpacing the broader market's 0.74% and 15.14% moves over the same periods, respectively, highlighting the stock's relative strength. However, the 3-month relative strength of -4.92% against the SPY indicates some recent underperformance versus the market's strong rally, suggesting the stock's ascent may be more measured or facing sector-specific headwinds. Key technical support is anchored at the 52-week low of $199.13, while immediate resistance sits at the 52-week high of $310.00; a decisive breakout above $310 would signal a resumption of the primary bull trend, whereas a breakdown below the recent low near $238 could indicate a deeper correction. The stock exhibits above-average volatility with a beta of 1.22, meaning it is approximately 22% more volatile than the SPY, which investors must factor into risk management and position sizing decisions. The price has experienced a maximum drawdown of -20.35% over the provided period, underscoring its cyclical nature and the importance of the identified support levels for managing downside risk.
Beta
1.22
1.22x market volatility
Max Drawdown
-20.4%
Largest decline past year
52-Week Range
$204-$310
Price range past year
Annual Return
+30.5%
Cumulative gain past year
| Period | LECO Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | +2.1% | -1.7% |
| 3m | +6.9% | +13.7% |
| 6m | +9.1% | +6.2% |
| 1y | +30.5% | +20.8% |
| ytd | +10.3% | +7.5% |
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LECO Fundamental Analysis
Lincoln Electric's revenue trajectory remains positive, with Q4 2025 revenue of $1.079 billion representing a 5.55% year-over-year growth; segment data reveals the Americas Welding segment is the primary growth driver, contributing $707 million, while International Welding and The Harris Products Group added $265 million and $140 million, respectively. The multi-quarter trend shows revenue has grown sequentially from $1.004 billion in Q1 2025, indicating steady demand, though the growth rate has moderated from higher levels seen in prior years, suggesting a mature but stable growth profile for this industrial stalwart. Profitability is robust, with the company reporting a Q4 2025 net income of $136.0 million and a gross margin of 34.9%, which aligns closely with the trailing twelve-month gross margin of 36.3% reported in valuation data. Net margin for the quarter was a healthy 12.6%, and operating margin stood at 17.0%, demonstrating the company's ability to convert sales into earnings efficiently, a hallmark of its well-regarded operational execution. The balance sheet and cash flow position are strong, highlighted by a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.82, and a return on equity of 35.4%. The company generates substantial cash, with free cash flow over the trailing twelve months of $534.2 million, providing ample internal funding for growth initiatives, dividends, and share repurchases without excessive reliance on external debt. The strong ROE and solid liquidity metrics underscore a financially healthy company capable of weathering economic cycles while returning capital to shareholders.
Quarterly Revenue
$1.1B
2025-12
Revenue YoY Growth
+0.05%
YoY Comparison
Gross Margin
+0.34%
Latest Quarter
Free Cash Flow
$534199000.0B
Last 12 Months
Revenue & Net Income Trends (2 Years)
Revenue Breakdown
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Valuation Analysis: Is LECO Overvalued?
Given the company's consistent profitability with a positive net income, the primary valuation metric selected is the Price-to-Earnings (PE) ratio. The stock trades at a trailing PE of 25.5x and a forward PE of 22.8x; the lower forward multiple suggests the market anticipates earnings growth, with the implied earnings growth expectation being roughly 11.8% based on the PE compression, aligning with the company's steady fundamental performance. Compared to industry averages, Lincoln Electric's trailing PE of 25.5x and Price-to-Sales (PS) ratio of 3.14x are not directly benchmarked in the provided data, but its EV/EBITDA of 17.1x and EV/Sales of 3.69x provide a basis for relative valuation; these multiples reflect a premium typically assigned to high-quality industrial leaders with superior margins and returns, which appears justified by its 35.4% ROE and 16.9% operating margin. Historically, the current trailing PE of 25.5x sits above the multi-year range observed in the historical ratios data, which has fluctuated significantly from lows near 13.5x in mid-2022 to highs above 29x in early 2024. This positioning near the upper end of its own historical valuation band suggests the market is pricing in optimistic expectations for sustained earnings growth and operational excellence, leaving less room for multiple expansion and increasing sensitivity to any earnings disappointments.
PE
25.5x
Latest Quarter
vs. Historical
Low-End
5-Year PE Range 14x~60x
vs. Industry Avg
N/A
Industry PE ~N/A*
EV/EBITDA
17.1x
Enterprise Value Multiple

