Northwest Investment Counselors LLC Sells 536 Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM)

Northwest Investment Counselors LLC lowered its position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM) by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,922 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 536 shares during the period. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC’s holdings in MSC Industrial Direct were worth $854,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted 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 valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 1,142.3% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct in the second quarter worth $26,000. Institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on MSM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $81.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Loop Capital cut their price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target 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. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, MSC Industrial Direct has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $91.60.

MSC Industrial Direct Price Performance

Shares of MSM traded down $1.46 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $82.76. The company had a trading volume of 134,444 shares, compared to its average volume of 556,112. The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $84.81. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $75.05 and a 12-month high of $104.76. The company has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.35 and a beta of 0.86.

MSC Industrial Direct Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. This is a boost from MSC Industrial Direct’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.11%. MSC Industrial Direct’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 66.02%.

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.