Ethic Inc. Buys 12,105 Shares of LKQ Corporation $LKQ

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its stake in LKQ Corporation by 81.0%, acquiring an additional 12,105 shares, bringing its total holdings to 27,049 shares valued at approximately $1.16 million.
• Several institutional investors, including Caitong International Asset Management and Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, have recently made new investments in LKQ, with institutional ownership at 95.63%.
• LKQ reported a $0.87 EPS for the last quarter, which was below analyst expectations of $0.93, with plans for a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, translating to an annual yield of 3.8%.

Ethic Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) by 81.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 27,049 shares of the auto parts company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,105 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in LKQ were worth $1,162,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of LKQ by 35.0% during the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 17,334 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $637,000 after acquiring an additional 4,495 shares in the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in LKQ by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,436 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,994,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of LKQ by 25.2% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,231,940 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $192,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,053,001 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of LKQ by 28.4% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,057,102 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $38,848,000 after buying an additional 234,045 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.63% of the company's stock.

LKQ Stock Up 4.1%

LKQ stock traded up $1.25 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $31.84. The stock had a trading volume of 2,271,047 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,440,101. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $34.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.52. LKQ Corporation has a 12-month low of $28.92 and a 12-month high of $44.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.66 and a beta of 0.92.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.93 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $3.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.62 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 13.85% and a net margin of 5.04%.LKQ's revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.98 earnings per share. LKQ has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.000-3.30 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that LKQ Corporation will post 3.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 14th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. LKQ's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.96%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of LKQ from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on LKQ from $48.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $51.40.

About LKQ

LKQ Corporation engages in the distribution of replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles and specialty vehicle aftermarket products and accessories. It operates through four segments: Wholesale-North America, Europe, Specialty, and Self Service. The company distributes bumper covers, automotive body panels, and lights, as well as mechanical automotive parts and accessories; salvage products, including mechanical and collision parts comprising engines; transmissions; door assemblies; sheet metal products, such as trunk lids, fenders, and hoods; lights and bumper assemblies; scrap metal and other materials to metals recyclers; and brake pads, discs and sensors, clutches, steering and suspension products, filters, and oil and automotive fluids, as well as electrical products, including spark plugs and batteries.