Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fourteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $243.50.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. SVB Leerink assumed coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Monday, February 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $260.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Friday, February 9th. They set an “in-line” rating and a $240.00 target price on the stock. Leerink Partnrs restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Monday, February 26th. TheStreet cut Laboratory Co. of America from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $222.00 target price on the stock.

Insider Activity at Laboratory Co. of America

In related news, EVP Der Vaart Sandra D. Van sold 237 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.45, for a total value of $53,668.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,637 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,729,398.65. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Laboratory Co. of America news, EVP Jonathan P. Divincenzo sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.49, for a total value of $107,745.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 3,401 shares in the company, valued at $732,881.49. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Der Vaart Sandra D. Van sold 237 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.45, for a total transaction of $53,668.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,637 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,729,398.65. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 54,305 shares of company stock valued at $11,761,059 over the last quarter. 0.65% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laboratory Co. of America

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 5.1% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 25,354 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $5,097,000 after buying an additional 1,237 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 6.0% during the third quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 8,509 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $1,711,000 after buying an additional 484 shares during the period. Handelsinvest Investeringsforvaltning acquired a new stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America during the fourth quarter worth about $1,091,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 77.0% during the third quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 56,461 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $11,351,000 after buying an additional 24,558 shares during the period. Finally, Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 202.4% during the fourth quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 9,243 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $2,101,000 after buying an additional 6,186 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.94% of the company’s stock.

Laboratory Co. of America Price Performance

Shares of Laboratory Co. of America stock opened at $205.73 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Laboratory Co. of America has a twelve month low of $174.20 and a twelve month high of $234.09. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $215.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $214.72. The firm has a market cap of $17.31 billion, a PE ratio of 44.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.01.

Laboratory Co. of America (NYSE:LH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The medical research company reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.29 by $0.01. Laboratory Co. of America had a return on equity of 13.99% and a net margin of 3.24%. The company had revenue of $3.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.14 EPS. Laboratory Co. of America’s revenue was down 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Laboratory Co. of America will post 14.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Laboratory Co. of America Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 28th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.40%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 24th. Laboratory Co. of America’s dividend payout ratio is currently 61.67%.

Laboratory Co. of America Company Profile

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics (Dx) and Biopharma Laboratory Services (BLS).