LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLAGet Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and ten have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $322.75.

LPLA has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of LPL Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on LPL Financial from $303.00 to $309.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on LPL Financial from $325.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on LPL Financial from $271.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on LPL Financial from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th.

View Our Latest Analysis on LPL Financial

LPL Financial Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ LPLA opened at $327.93 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $302.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $260.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 2.16. LPL Financial has a 52-week low of $187.19 and a 52-week high of $334.83. The stock has a market cap of $24.56 billion, a PE ratio of 24.66, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.86.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLAGet Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.69 by $0.47. LPL Financial had a return on equity of 49.47% and a net margin of 8.73%. The business had revenue of $3.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.74 EPS. LPL Financial’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that LPL Financial will post 16.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.37%. LPL Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 9.02%.

Insider Activity at LPL Financial

In related news, Director Aneri Jambusaria sold 305 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.94, for a total value of $101,241.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,920 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,301,204.80. The trade was a 7.22 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LPL Financial

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in LPLA. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in LPL Financial by 9,450.0% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 573 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $160,000 after purchasing an additional 567 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in LPL Financial during the second quarter worth $341,000. Whittier Trust Co. raised its position in LPL Financial by 5.3% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 21,758 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $6,077,000 after acquiring an additional 1,096 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in LPL Financial by 5.7% in the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 11,837 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,306,000 after acquiring an additional 638 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in shares of LPL Financial by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 26,110 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,293,000 after acquiring an additional 689 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.66% of the company’s stock.

LPL Financial Company Profile

(Get Free Report

LPL Financial Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors and financial advisors at enterprises in the United States. Its brokerage offerings include variable and fixed annuities, mutual funds, equities, fixed income, alternative investments, retirement and 529 education savings plans, and insurance.

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Analyst Recommendations for LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA)

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