Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Shares of Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $112.09 and last traded at $111.58, with a volume of 116142 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $110.44.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Autoliv in a research report on Friday, March 7th. They set a "buy" rating and a $116.00 target price on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Autoliv from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $123.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Autoliv from $105.00 to $90.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Autoliv from $103.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Autoliv from $97.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Autoliv currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $115.27.

Autoliv Stock Up 1.7%

The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $101.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $95.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $8.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.36.

Autoliv (NYSE:ALV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 16th. The auto parts company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.72 by $0.43. The business had revenue of $2.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.50 billion. Autoliv had a return on equity of 30.47% and a net margin of 6.63%. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.58 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Autoliv, Inc. will post 9.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Autoliv Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 5th. This is a positive change from Autoliv's previous quarterly dividend of $0.70. Autoliv's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.22%.

Autoliv declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 4th that permits the company to repurchase $2.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the auto parts company to purchase up to 31.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jan Carlson sold 1,555 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.32, for a total value of $168,437.60. Following the sale, the director now owns 77,493 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,394,041.76. The trade was a 1.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALV. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Autoliv by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 406,348 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $38,111,000 after buying an additional 15,202 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in shares of Autoliv by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,820 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $358,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Autoliv in the 4th quarter worth about $3,815,000. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Autoliv during the 4th quarter worth about $326,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC lifted its holdings in Autoliv by 74.4% during the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 314 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.57% of the company's stock.

About Autoliv

Autoliv, Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and supplies passive safety systems to the automotive industry in Europe, the Americas, China, Japan, and rest of Asia. It offers passive safety systems, including modules and components for frontal-impact airbag protection systems, side-impact airbag protection systems, seatbelts, steering wheels, and inflator technologies.