Key Points
- Director Reuben Slone purchased 433 MSC Industrial Direct shares at an average price of $115.77, investing approximately $50,128 and establishing a direct ownership position.
- MSC Industrial Direct reported quarterly revenue of $1.08 billion and EPS of $1.45, exceeding analyst expectations; revenue increased 10.3% year over year.
- The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.89 per share, equivalent to an annualized $3.56 dividend and a 3.1% yield, while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $132.44 average price target.
MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) Director Reuben Slone bought 433 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $115.77 per share, with a total value of $50,128.41. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $50,128.41. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
MSC Industrial Direct Trading Up 1.6%
MSM stock opened at $114.20 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $6.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.69 and a beta of 0.82. MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. has a twelve month low of $78.80 and a twelve month high of $133.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The business has a fifty day moving average of $123.24 and a 200-day moving average of $116.51.
MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 18.72% and a net margin of 5.55%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 5.38 EPS for the current year.
MSC Industrial Direct Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 10th. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. This is an increase from MSC Industrial Direct's previous quarterly dividend of $0.87. MSC Industrial Direct's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 89.45%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several research analysts have recently issued reports on MSM shares. DA Davidson set a $155.00 target price on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Rothschild & Co Redburn started coverage on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a report on Monday, July 13th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $155.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $130.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Friday. Finally, Stephens raised shares of MSC Industrial Direct from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Friday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, MSC Industrial Direct presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $132.44.
View Our Latest Stock Report on MSM
Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct
Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in MSC Industrial Direct by 20.9% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,773,133 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $163,607,000 after buying an additional 306,436 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 3.7% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,463,620 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $174,098,000 after buying an additional 52,860 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 1.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,357,419 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $125,240,000 after buying an additional 14,484 shares during the last quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. grew its position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 43.0% during the 1st quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 705,775 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $65,122,000 after buying an additional 212,074 shares during the period. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. acquired a new position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct during the 2nd quarter worth about $49,939,000. 79.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
MSC Industrial Direct News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting MSC Industrial Direct this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Fiscal fourth-quarter sales rose 10.3% year over year to $1.08 billion, exceeding expectations, while adjusted EPS of $1.45 topped the consensus estimate of $1.41. Management also anticipates continued sales growth in the first quarter. MSC Industrial Supply Co. Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
- Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded MSM to “overweight” and raised its price target to $135 from $130. KeyCorp maintained an “overweight” rating while lowering its target to $140 from $145; both targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels.
- Positive Sentiment: Director Reuben E. Slone purchased 433 shares for approximately $50,128, providing a modest insider-confidence signal. SEC insider transaction filing
- Neutral Sentiment: MSC Industrial released its fiscal 2026 Form 10-K, giving investors additional detail on its full-year operating performance, risks and strategic initiatives. MSC Industrial Direct Releases Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report on Form 10-K
- Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons with Fastenal and Grainger highlight MSM’s dividend tradeoffs, including the balance between yield, payout safety and long-term growth. Fastenal vs. Grainger vs. MSC Industrial
- Negative Sentiment: GAAP diluted EPS declined to $0.85 from $1.01 a year earlier, while operating income was pressured by asset impairments and other items. Adjusted operating margin was 10.9%, but the underlying margin trend and technology-strategy pivot raised investor concerns.
- Negative Sentiment: Management flagged inflationary headwinds, increasing concern that labor, product and operating costs could limit the benefit of strong sales growth. These concerns explain why the stock has fallen sharply despite the earnings beat. MSC Industrial Sinks 14% Despite Record Sales
MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc is a distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) supplies. The company serves industrial and institutional customers with products used in machining, manufacturing, facility maintenance and workplace safety.
Its offerings include cutting tools, abrasives, tooling and workholding equipment, machinery, safety products, material-handling supplies, janitorial and facility-maintenance products, and other industrial consumables. MSC also provides technical support, inventory-management programs, vending and other supply-chain services designed to help customers manage procurement and production-related needs.
Founded in 1941, MSC serves customers primarily across the United States and Canada through sales representatives, customer service teams, catalogs, distribution operations and digital commerce platforms.
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