LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on LKQ. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a research report on Monday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, LKQ has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.60.

LKQ Stock Performance

LKQ opened at $40.51 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $40.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $39.44. LKQ has a 1 year low of $35.56 and a 1 year high of $46.64. The stock has a market cap of $10.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.46 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.71 and a quick ratio of 0.67.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79. LKQ had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 14.93%. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.82 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that LKQ will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at LKQ

In related news, CEO Justin L. Jude purchased 2,708 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $36.99 per share, with a total value of $100,168.92. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 280,777 shares in the company, valued at $10,385,941.23. This trade represents a 0.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.15, for a total value of $632,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 321,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,535,840.25. The trade was a 4.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 35,000 shares of company stock worth $1,457,150. Corporate insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LKQ. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in LKQ during the first quarter worth $30,000. Cromwell Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of LKQ by 81.0% during the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 742 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in LKQ by 104.8% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 977 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Horizon Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in LKQ in the first quarter valued at about $42,000. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

LKQ Company Profile

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.