Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Esab Corporation (ESAB)

342 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in ESAB. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↓ -9
Streak
3Q ▼
Buyers last Q
53%

Smart Money Signals — ESAB

Based on 344 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 3 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 3 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ESAB positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (95% of max)

95% of all-time peak
344 hedge funds hold ESAB right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding ESAB is almost the same as a year ago (+11 funds, +3% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 53% buying

191 buying171 selling
Last quarter: 191 funds bought or added vs 171 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
➡️

Steady new buyers — ~55 new funds per quarter

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 57 → 52 → 53 → 55. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.
🔒

54% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 54% conviction (2yr+) ■ 26% medium ■ 21% new
185 out of 344 hedge funds have held ESAB for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares +8%, value -28%

Value
-28%
Shares
+7%
Last quarter: funds added +8% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -28%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
➡️

Steady discovery — ~55 new funds/quarter

55 → 57 → 52 → 53 → 55 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 57 → 52 → 53 → 55. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 60% veterans vs 28% newcomers

■ 60% veterans ■ 12% 1-2yr ■ 28% new
Entry-cohort mix of 349 holders: 210 (60%) are 2+ year veterans, 43 entered 1–2 years ago, and 96 (28%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
🏆

Elite ownership — 45% AUM from top-100 funds

45% from top-100 AUM funds
50 of 343 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 45% of total institutional value in ESAB. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
3.3
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.3/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — ESAB

In 2026 Q1, 191 hedge funds were net buyers of ESAB (55 opened a new position, 136 added to an existing one), while 171 reduced or exited (107 trimmed, 64 sold completely) — a 53% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. This extends a 3-quarter selling streak, suggesting sustained institutional caution. 45% of total institutional value in ESAB is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: -9 funds (more exits than new entries). Total institutional holders: 344.

Hedge Fund Ownership: ESAB

How many hedge funds hold ESAB — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of ESAB vs. share price

Market Analysis: ESAB

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: ESAB

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Esab Corporation (ESAB) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much ESAB has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLI) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 82d ago
ESAB
+9.9%
XLI
+11.9%

ESAB outperformed XLI by -2.0% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 37d ago
ESAB
+19.9%
XLI
+5.5%

Since the filing became public, ESAB outperformed XLI by +14.4% .

Interpretation: The stock has meaningfully outrun its sector. The trade has partially played out; entry is at a premium to the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

26 top-rated funds 0 high-conviction
Consensus
6.2
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
1.1
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: ESAB
342 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in ESAB. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 342 353 -3.12%
13F Shares 57M 53M 7.3%
Total Value $3.77B $5.24B -28.03%
New Positions 54 53 +1
Increased Positions 136 108 +28
Closed Positions 65 56 +9
Reduced Positions 106 142 -36
Total Calls 3 0 100%
Total Puts 3 0 100%
PUT/CALL Ratio 1.0 0.0 Neutral

Statistics: ESAB

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Valuation Measures Data as of: --

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PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
Price/Sales (ttm) --
Price/Book (mrq) --
Enterprise Value/Revenue --
Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

Profitability
Profit Margin --
Return on Assets (ttm) --
Return on Equity (ttm) --
Income Statement & Cash Flow
Revenue (ttm) --
Net Income Avi to Common (ttm) --
Diluted EPS (ttm) --
Total Cash (mrq) --
Total Debt/Equity (mrq) --
Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm) --

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

342 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in ESAB. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 ESAB holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Roubaix Capital, LLC 2.34% 51,928 $5.0M
2 Champlain Investment Partners, LLC 1.60% 1,304,834 $126.1M
3 Hudson Value Partners, LLC 1.58% 54,814 $5.3M
4 Interval Partners, LP 1.44% 569,638 $55.1M
5 Meixler Investment Management, Ltd. 1.28% 24,172 $2.4M
6 Cooke & Bieler LP 1.10% 1,005,176 $97.2M
7 Defender Capital, LLC. 1.02% 29,687 $2.9M
8 Royce & Associates LP 0.78% 813,585 $78.6M
9 Lafayette Investments, Inc. 0.65% 33,329 $3.2M
10 Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc 0.58% 170,000 $16.4M
11 Sapience Investments, LLC 0.49% 39 $4K
12 Granite Investment Partners, LLC 0.47% 78,468 $7.6M
13 Ceredex Value Advisors LLC 0.36% 118,250 $11.4M
14 DAVENPORT & Co LLC 0.35% 674,417 $65.2M
15 Twinbeech Capital LP 0.33% 33,118 $3.2M
16 Intrinsic Value Partners, LLC 0.33% 4,425 $428K
17 Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc 0.27% 451,757 $43.7M
18 Kennedy Capital Management LLC 0.24% 117,621 $11.4M
19 Lincoln Capital LLC 0.23% 12,671 $1.2M
20 Fenimore Asset Management Inc 0.22% 102,626 $9.9M
21 Lecap Asset Management Ltd 0.22% 5,957 $576K
22 Boston Trust Walden Corp 0.19% 239,607 $23.2M
23 TAGStone Capital, Inc. 0.18% 5,265 $509K
24 Atom Investors LP 0.17% 24,350 $2.4M
25 Oak Associates Ltd /Oh/ 0.16% 24,196 $2.3M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Esab Corporation (ESAB)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for ESAB?

Selling streak — 3 quarters in a row: For 3 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ESAB positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for ESAB?

Slight buying edge — 53% buying: Last quarter: 191 funds bought or added vs 171 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for ESAB holders?

Elite ownership — 45% AUM from top-100 funds: 50 of 343 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 45% of total institutional value in ESAB. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held ESAB?

54% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 185 out of 344 hedge funds have held ESAB for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Esab Corporation (ESAB) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, ESAB has moved +19.9% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +5.5% for the XLI sector ETF — an outperformance of +14.4%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), ESAB has gained +9.9% vs +11.9% for XLI. The stock has meaningfully outrun its sector. The trade has partially played out; entry is at a premium to the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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