MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM) Sets New 1-Year Low - Should You Sell?

Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $74.90 and last traded at $74.90, with a volume of 111537 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $76.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $84.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct from $87.00 to $73.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Stephens downgraded shares of MSC Industrial Direct from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and set a $85.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, December 4th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $85.20.

MSC Industrial Direct Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $4.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.33 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.96. The firm's 50 day moving average is $82.58 and its 200-day moving average is $81.98.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The industrial products company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $952.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $959.74 million. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 6.77% and a return on equity of 19.35%. MSC Industrial Direct's revenue was down 8.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.64 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. will post 3.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.55%. MSC Industrial Direct's payout ratio is 74.24%.

Insider Activity

In other MSC Industrial Direct news, CEO Erik Gershwind sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.36, for a total transaction of $4,518,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,402,849 shares in the company, valued at $126,761,435.64. This represents a 3.44 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Philip Peller sold 900 shares of MSC Industrial Direct stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were 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 directly owns 4,044 shares of the company's stock, valued at $360,199.08. The trade was a 18.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 18.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of MSC Industrial Direct

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 442.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 309 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC lifted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 35,300.0% in the second 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 during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC boosted its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 57.0% in the third quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 372 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 53.0% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 407 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.