MSC Industrial Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q3 Results

MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE: MSM ) on Wednesday reported upbeat fiscal third-quarter 2026 results.

Adjusted earnings came in at $1.43 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $1.26.

Revenue increased 7.8% year over year to $1.047 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $1.031 billion.

Pricing contributed 720 basis points to growth, while volume added 50 basis points sequentially.

For the fiscal fourth quarter, MSC expects average daily sales growth of 6.5% to 8.5%, with June average daily sales projected to increase about 7%.

The company expects gross margin to decline 40 to 50 basis points sequentially because of normal seasonal trends.

Adjusted operating margin is forecast to range between 10.0% and 10.8%, implying incremental operating margins in the mid-20% range.

MSC Industrial Direct shares rose 2.1% to trade at $125.90 on Thursday.

These analysts made changes to their price targets on MSC Industrial Direct following earnings announcement.

DA Davidson analyst Chris Dankert maintained the stock with a Buy and raised the price target from $145 to $150.

Keybanc analyst Ken Newman maintained the stock with an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $132 to $145.

Considering buying MSM stock? Here’s what analysts think: Photo via Shutterstock