LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday.

LKQ has been the subject of several other reports. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, September 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on LKQ from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $58.00.

LKQ Stock Performance

Shares of LKQ opened at $40.77 on Tuesday. LKQ has a 12 month low of $35.57 and a 12 month high of $53.68. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $41.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $44.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $10.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.24 and a beta of 1.29.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The auto parts company reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.87 billion. LKQ had a net margin of 5.03% and a return on equity of 15.33%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.09 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that LKQ will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Andrew C. Clarke acquired 7,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.70 per share, with a total value of $301,720.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,519 shares in the company, valued at $417,604.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director Andrew C. Clarke bought 7,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.70 per share, for a total transaction of $301,720.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 10,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $417,604.30. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Matthew J. Mckay purchased 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.75 per share, for a total transaction of $99,375.00. Following the purchase, the senior vice president now owns 94,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,763,132.50. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders acquired 12,600 shares of company stock valued at $500,870. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LKQ. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in LKQ during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $263,000. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of LKQ by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 11,775 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $563,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in LKQ during the 4th quarter worth $298,000. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in LKQ during the 4th quarter valued at about $159,324,000. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About LKQ

LKQ Corporation engages in the distribution of replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles and specialty vehicle aftermarket products and accessories. It operates through four segments: Wholesale-North America, Europe, Specialty, and Self Service. The company distributes bumper covers, automotive body panels, and lights, as well as mechanical automotive parts and accessories; salvage products, including mechanical and collision parts comprising engines; transmissions; door assemblies; sheet metal products, such as trunk lids, fenders, and hoods; lights and bumper assemblies; scrap metal and other materials to metals recyclers; and brake pads, discs and sensors, clutches, steering and suspension products, filters, and oil and automotive fluids, as well as electrical products, including spark plugs and batteries.