Argus Upgrades Lear (NYSE:LEA) to “Strong-Buy”

Lear (NYSE:LEA) was upgraded by analysts at Argus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Lear from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Lear from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group increased their price target on Lear from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $121.00 price objective on shares of Lear in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Lear from $112.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $135.10.

Lear Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LEA opened at $138.49 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.30. The company’s 50-day moving average is $119.76 and its 200 day moving average is $109.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.35. Lear has a fifty-two week low of $73.85 and a fifty-two week high of $141.28.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.74. The business had revenue of $5.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.78 billion. Lear had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 13.40%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.94 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lear will post 12.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.17, for a total value of $590,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 15,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,801,383.48. This trade represents a 24.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lear

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Lear by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,784,110 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $280,106,000 after purchasing an additional 57,443 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its stake in Lear by 1.3% during the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,825,057 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $182,688,000 after buying an additional 23,773 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Lear by 23.6% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,569,341 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $157,891,000 after buying an additional 299,841 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in Lear by 46,707.8% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 951,602 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $109,054,000 after acquiring an additional 949,569 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lear by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 734,087 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $73,856,000 after acquiring an additional 125,422 shares in the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Lear

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded Lear to a “strong‑buy” on Feb. 10 — the upgrade signals bullish analyst conviction and can attract buying interest and momentum-following flows. Argus Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (announced Feb. 4) beat expectations — EPS $3.41 vs. $2.67 est.; revenue $5.99B vs. $5.78B est.; revenue +4.8% YoY. The beat and solid margins support the stock’s valuation (PE ~17) and underpins analyst bullishness and the current elevated trading level.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published analysis of Lear’s international revenue trends, noting overseas mix and currency effects are key drivers for forward estimates — useful context for investors assessing growth sustainability but not an immediate catalyst. Unlocking Lear International Revenues
• Neutral Sentiment: H.R.7183 (Youth Financial Learning Act) was introduced; the bill promotes financial literacy in schools. It names several financial services firms as relevant participants but is unlikely to meaningfully affect Lear’s core auto-supplier business. Youth Financial Learning Act
• Negative Sentiment: Some brokerages still give Lear a consensus “Hold” rating, which can cap upside as investors weigh mixed analyst views despite recent beats and upgrades. Consensus “Hold” by Brokerages

Lear Company Profile

Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) is a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems. The company designs, engineers and manufactures complete seat systems, seat components and power solutions for major vehicle manufacturers. Its electrical business delivers modules and components for battery management, infotainment, body and safety electronics, as well as advanced connectivity and electrification solutions.

The seating division develops lightweight, ergonomic seat structures, trim and mechanisms that address comfort, safety and environmental targets.