Assetmark Inc. Cuts Stake in Lear Corporation $LEA

Key Points

• Assetmark Inc. cut its stake in Lear by 89.2% in Q4, selling 8,547 shares and leaving it with 1,036 shares valued at about $119,000.
• Other institutions were mixed — Robeco raised its stake to 72,784 shares (~$8.34M) and institutional ownership stands at 97.04% — while short interest climbed ~17% to ~1.99 million shares (~4% of the float), raising near‑term volatility risk ahead of earnings.
• Lear recently beat EPS and revenue estimates, pays a $0.77 quarterly dividend (yield ~2.4%), and faces mixed analyst views with a consensus "Hold" and an average target of $134.92; Wall Street expects earnings growth next week, a potential catalyst for the stock.

Assetmark Inc. decreased its holdings in Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA - Free Report) by 89.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,036 shares of the auto parts company's stock after selling 8,547 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc.'s holdings in Lear were worth $119,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in LEA. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Lear during the 4th quarter valued at $203,000. Choreo LLC raised its holdings in Lear by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 2,276 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $265,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its holdings in Lear by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 72,784 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $8,341,000 after buying an additional 3,444 shares during the last quarter. Ifrah Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in Lear during the 4th quarter valued at $212,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Lear by 10.8% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.04% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Lear

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects earnings growth next week for Lear, and analysts see the company as positioned to beat consensus in the upcoming report — a potential catalyst that could support the stock if results and guidance are strong. Lear (LEA) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary assessing Lear’s valuation after its recent share‑price run could prompt profit‑taking or consolidation; investors may be awaiting the upcoming earnings print and updated guidance before committing to new long positions. Assessing Lear (LEA) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose sharply in April — up ~17% to ~1.99 million shares as of April 15 (about 4% of the float) with a short‑interest ratio near 4.1 days. That increase in short positioning adds selling pressure and volatility risk and is likely a key driver of today’s weakness as shorts and profit‑taking intersect ahead of earnings.

Lear Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE LEA opened at $128.37 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Lear Corporation has a 12 month low of $82.88 and a 12 month high of $142.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.50 billion, a PE ratio of 15.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.24. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $117.13.

Lear (NYSE:LEA - Get Free Report) last issued 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. Lear had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 13.40%. The business had revenue of $5.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.78 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.94 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Lear Corporation will post 14.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th were paid a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 5th. Lear's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.79%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on LEA. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Lear in a report on Thursday, March 12th. They set a "sector perform" rating and a $135.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target 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. Argus upgraded shares of Lear to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Lear from $131.00 to $126.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Lear from $146.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $134.92.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lear

In related news, SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total value of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,423 shares in the company, valued at $2,374,929.13. This trade represents a 28.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Marianne Vidershain sold 1,590 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $214,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 1,862 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $251,370. The trade was a 46.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 25,264 shares of company stock valued at $3,400,687 in the last quarter. 1.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Lear

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.