Howe & Rusling Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Lamar Advertising Company $LAMR

Key Points

• Howe & Rusling Inc. increased its stake in Lamar Advertising by 23.3% in the fourth quarter, adding 9,367 shares to bring its total holdings to 49,552 shares worth about $6.27 million.
• Institutional interest in Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR) remains very high, with hedge funds and other institutions owning 93.78% of the company. Several large investors also significantly boosted or initiated positions during recent quarters.
• The company beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting $1.00 EPS versus the $0.82 estimate, and it declared a quarterly dividend of $1.60 per share, implying a 4.2% annualized yield.

Howe & Rusling Inc. lifted its position in Lamar Advertising Company (NASDAQ:LAMR - Free Report) by 23.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,552 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 9,367 shares during the quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc.'s holdings in Lamar Advertising were worth $6,272,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LAMR. M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Lamar Advertising by 12,278.7% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,147,876 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $145,298,000 after buying an additional 1,138,603 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Lamar Advertising in the 4th quarter valued at $104,705,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lamar Advertising by 123.8% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,475,525 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $177,152,000 after buying an additional 816,217 shares during the period. Egerton Capital UK LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Lamar Advertising in the 3rd quarter valued at $88,615,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Lamar Advertising by 97.8% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 991,990 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $121,439,000 after buying an additional 490,463 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.78% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Lamar Advertising

In other news, EVP Ross Lamar Reilly sold 5,969 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 15,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,039,102.50. This represents a 27.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 15.24% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on LAMR shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on 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 target on Lamar Advertising in a report on Thursday, May 7th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Lamar Advertising from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Lamar Advertising in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, UBS Group set a $150.00 price target on Lamar Advertising in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $148.00.

Lamar Advertising Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LAMR opened at $150.99 on Wednesday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $144.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Lamar Advertising Company has a 1-year low of $113.66 and a 1-year high of $158.69. The company has a market cap of $15.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.86 and a beta of 1.20.

Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.82 by $0.18. Lamar Advertising had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 24.01%.The company had revenue of $528.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $522.86 million. Analysts forecast that Lamar Advertising Company will post 8.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lamar Advertising Announces Dividend

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

Lamar Advertising Company Profile

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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