Skip to main content
MSMMSC Industrial Direct Company, Buy Wait5.8·$122.78-0.45%
Buy WaitModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

MSC Industrial Direct has a perfect Piotroski F-Score of 9/9 and earnings estimates rising 31.6% in the past 30 days, but the stock has surpassed analyst price targets and trades with negative price momentum, offering limited near-term risk-reward for new buyers.

Thesis pillars

  • Rising Earnings EstimatesStable
  • Top Tier Financial HealthStable
  • Negative Momentum Price OvershootStable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

Open full analysis

MSC Industrial Direct Company, (MSM) Stock Analysis

Breakout setup

Buy WaitModerate Confidence

Industrials · Industrial Distribution

Wait for pullback to $115.98. Recent C-suite change — blocks BUY_NOW at $122.78. Engine's entry $115.98 (support + ATR) is the shallowest technical level that clears the 2:1 A.R:R minimum. Key risks: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (3.7% away).

MSC Industrial Direct Company is a North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services, serving customers from individual machine shops to Fortune 1000 manufacturers and government agencies through more than 7,000... Read more

$122.78+7.7% A.UpsideScore 5.8/10#2 of 20 Industrial Distribution
QualityF-score9 / 9FCF yield2.85%
IncomeYield2.83%(5y avg 3.70%)Payout83.57%at-risk
Entry $115.98(support + ATR)Stop $110.63Target $124.96(resistance)A.R:R -1.5:1
Analyst target$125.67+2.4%6 analysts
$124.96our TP
$122.78price
$125.67mean
$67
$150

Wait for pullback to $115.98. Recent C-suite change — blocks BUY_NOW at $122.78. Engine's entry $115.98 (support + ATR) is the shallowest technical level that clears the 2:1 A.R:R minimum. Key risks: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (3.7% away). Chart setup: Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 63, MACD bullish. Maintain position. Not compelling to add more. | News modifier +1 (HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT) Score 5.8/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 6/8 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, news boost analyst 0.60, earnings proximity 110d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: moderate.

news + 30-day 8-K events · 5-min refresh

Recent developments

updated 2026-07-06
TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Thu, Oct 22, 2026110d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
Strong earnings beat streak (3/4)
Earnings estimates trending UP
Strong growth profile
Risks
Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining
Near 52-week high (3.7% away)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)29.7
P/E (Fwd)22.7
Mkt Cap$6.9B
EV/EBITDA16.5
Profit Mgn5.9%
ROE16.3%
Rev Growth7.8%
Beta0.81
Dividend2.83%
Rating analysts11

Quality Signals

Piotroski F9/9MoatNarrow

Options Flow

P/C0.84neutral
IV52%elevated

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • LOWCustomerU.S. government and public sector10%
    10-K Item 1A: 'As a supplier to the U.S. government and public sector, which represented approximately 10% of the Company's total revenue in fiscal year 2025, we must comply with certain laws and regulations'
  • LOWProductMSC exclusive brand SKUs15%
    10-K Item 1: 'SKUs sold under MSC exclusive brands represent approximately 15% of net sales.'

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-04-10Item 5.02MEDIUM
    SVP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Neal Dongre voluntarily resigned, continuing in his role until his successor joins the company and through the remainder of fiscal 2026; the company states no disagreement over operations, policies, or practices.
    SEC filing →

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Show full disclosure ▾

About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.

No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security. Our sole compensation is subscription revenue.

No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.

Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

10 dimensions · all in-band

GatesA.R:R -1.5=NEGATIVEExecutive change: officer departure/appointmentMomentum 8.3>=5.5Insider activity: OKNEWS BOOST ANALYST 0.60EARNINGS PROXIMITY 110d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARBreakoutSuitability: Moderate
RSI
63 · Neutral
20D MA 50D MA 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $114.05Resistance $127.51

Price Targets

$111
$116
$125
A.Upside+1.8%
A.R:R-1.5:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionMedium conviction
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Target reached (-11.0% upside)
! NEWS_MOD=+1: HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT
! Negative risk/reward — downside exceeds upside

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-10-22 (110d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MSM stock a buy right now?

Wait for pullback to $115.98. Recent C-suite change — blocks BUY_NOW at $122.78. Engine's entry $115.98 (support + ATR) is the shallowest technical level that clears the 2:1 A.R:R minimum. Key risks: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (3.7% away). Chart setup: Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 63, MACD bullish. Maintain position. Not compelling to add more. | News modifier +1 (HOLD_IF_HOLDING → STRONG_BUY_WAIT) Target $124.96 (+1.8%), stop $110.63 (−11.0%), A.R:R -1.5:1. Score 5.8/10, moderate confidence.

What is the MSM stock price target?

Take-profit target: $124.96 (+7.7% upside). Target $124.96 (+1.8%), stop $110.63 (−11.0%), A.R:R -1.5:1. Stop-loss: $110.63.

What are the risks of investing in MSM?

Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (3.7% away).

Is MSM overvalued or undervalued?

MSC Industrial Direct Company, trades at a P/E of 29.7 (forward 22.7). TrendMatrix value score: 4.6/10. Verdict: Buy (Wait for Entry).

What do analysts say about MSM?

11 analysts cover MSM with a consensus score of 3.5/5. Average price target: $126.

What does MSC Industrial Direct Company, do?MSC Industrial Direct Company is a North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations...

MSC Industrial Direct Company is a North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services, serving customers from individual machine shops to Fortune 1000 manufacturers and government agencies through more than 7,000 associates. The company offers approximately 2.5 million SKUs via five customer fulfillment centers, nine regional inventory centers, and 38 warehouses across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, with government and public sector customers representing approximately 10% of fiscal 2025 revenue.

Related stocks: REZI (Resideo Technologies, Inc.) · GIC (Global Industrial Company) · DNOW (DNOW Inc.) · WCC (WESCO International, Inc.) · DXPE (DXP Enterprises, Inc.)
Home Stocks MSM

Latest news

Latest News

Seeking Alpha2d agoCONCERN
Benzinga5d agoCONCERN
Yahoo Finance12d agoEarnings
GuruFocus4d ago
Benzinga5d ago
Yahoo Finance5d agoEarnings
StockStory5d ago
Yahoo Finance5d agoEarnings
Quiver Quantitative5d agoEarnings
KING5.com5d agoEarnings
Marketscreener.com5d agoEarnings
Benzinga6d ago
MSN6d ago
StockStory6d agoEarnings
TradingKey11d ago
Benzinga11d agoEarnings
Yahoo Finance4d agoEarnings
TradingView4d ago
Seeking Alpha4d ago
TradingView4d agoEarnings
Loading more...