14,787 Shares in Lamar Advertising Company $LAMR Acquired by Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors initiated a new position in Lamar Advertising, buying 14,787 shares worth about $1.87 million in the fourth quarter.
• Lamar Advertising reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.00 versus $0.82 expected and revenue of $528.0 million, while analysts still see full-year EPS of 8.24.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.60 per share, equal to a 4.2% annualized yield, while analysts currently have an average Moderate Buy rating and a $148.00 target price.

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lamar Advertising Company (NASDAQ:LAMR - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 14,787 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $1,872,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Boston Partners grew its holdings in shares of Lamar Advertising by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,384,715 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $291,928,000 after acquiring an additional 46,361 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Lamar Advertising by 23.9% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,629,554 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $199,490,000 after buying an additional 314,235 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lamar Advertising by 7.6% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,587,887 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $193,166,000 after acquiring an additional 112,362 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lamar Advertising by 13.8% during the third quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 1,478,299 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $180,973,000 after acquiring an additional 178,880 shares during the period. Finally, Hamlin Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Lamar Advertising by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hamlin Capital Management LLC now owns 1,425,045 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $174,454,000 after purchasing an additional 86,626 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.78% of the company's stock.

Lamar Advertising Price Performance

Shares of LAMR opened at $152.12 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.58. The firm has a market cap of $15.44 billion, a PE ratio of 28.07 and a beta of 1.18. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $137.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $133.16. Lamar Advertising Company has a twelve month low of $113.66 and a twelve month high of $158.69.

Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.18. Lamar Advertising had a net margin of 24.01% and a return on equity of 55.53%. The company had revenue of $528.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $522.86 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Lamar Advertising Company will post 8.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lamar Advertising Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $1.60 per share. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. Lamar Advertising's dividend payout ratio is 118.08%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LAMR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Lamar Advertising from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Lamar Advertising in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Lamar Advertising from $136.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Lamar Advertising in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group set a $150.00 target price on shares of Lamar Advertising in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $148.00.

Insider Activity at Lamar Advertising

In related news, EVP Ross Lamar Reilly sold 5,969 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.65, for a total value of $767,911.85. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 15,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,039,102.50. This trade represents a 27.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 15.24% of the company's stock.

About Lamar Advertising

Lamar Advertising Company NASDAQ: LAMR is one of North America's largest outdoor advertising firms, specializing in out-of-home media solutions. Since its founding in 1902, the company has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to offer a broad portfolio of advertising products. Its core business centers on billboard advertising, encompassing traditional static billboards and a rapidly expanding network of digital displays. These assets enable advertisers to reach consumers with high-impact messaging along highways, in urban centers, and at high-traffic intersections.

In addition to highway billboards, Lamar offers a variety of supplemental out-of-home formats, including transit advertising on buses and shelters, and logo signage at travel plazas and gas stations.

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