M&T Bank Corp Purchases 13,214 Shares of Lamar Advertising Company $LAMR

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in Lamar by 142.5%, buying 13,214 shares to hold 22,487 shares worth about $2.85 million, and institutional investors now own roughly 93.8% of the stock.
• Q1 results beat expectations — EPS $1.00 vs. $0.82 and revenue $528M (FFO and adjusted EBITDA also topped estimates) — prompting analyst price-target lifts and a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a $140.80 target.
• Lamar raised its quarterly dividend to $1.60 (annualized $6.40, yield ~4.2%), but the company carries high leverage (debt-to-equity ~3.1) and low liquidity (current/quick ratios ~0.58), which could increase downside risk if ad demand weakens.

M&T Bank Corp grew its position in shares of Lamar Advertising Company (NASDAQ:LAMR - Free Report) by 142.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,487 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after acquiring an additional 13,214 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Lamar Advertising were worth $2,846,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of LAMR. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Lamar Advertising during the second quarter valued at about $510,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of Lamar Advertising by 250.0% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 47,604 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $5,777,000 after buying an additional 34,002 shares during the period. Amundi increased its position in shares of Lamar Advertising by 224.6% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 2,048 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $255,000 after buying an additional 1,417 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new position in shares of Lamar Advertising during the second quarter valued at about $873,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Lamar Advertising by 39.0% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 37,166 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $4,510,000 after buying an additional 10,423 shares during the period. 93.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LAMR has been the topic of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Lamar Advertising in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Lamar Advertising from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $145.00 price target on shares of Lamar Advertising in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Lamar Advertising from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, UBS Group set a $150.00 price target on shares of Lamar Advertising in a research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $140.80.

Lamar Advertising Price Performance

Shares of LAMR opened at $150.93 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $15.29 billion, a PE ratio of 26.16 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.58. Lamar Advertising Company has a fifty-two week low of $112.00 and a fifty-two week high of $151.36. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $133.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $129.88.

Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $528.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $522.86 million. Lamar Advertising had a net margin of 25.91% and a return on equity of 58.58%. Analysts anticipate that Lamar Advertising Company will post 8.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lamar Advertising Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.2%. This is a boost from Lamar Advertising's previous quarterly dividend of $1.55. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Lamar Advertising's dividend payout ratio is currently 110.92%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lamar Advertising news, EVP Ross Lamar Reilly sold 5,969 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.65, for a total value of $767,911.85. Following the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 15.24% of the company's stock.

Key Lamar Advertising News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lamar Advertising this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus — Lamar reported revenue of $528.0M and EPS of $1.00, topping analyst expectations and citing strong customer demand. These beats are the primary near-term catalyst for the stock move. Lamar Announces First Quarter Operating Results
• Positive Sentiment: FFO and other operating metrics beat — Funds from operations (FFO) came in at $1.72 vs. Zacks’ $1.57 estimate; adjusted EBITDA was $226.3M and net income $101.8M, reinforcing the quality of the beat. Zacks: Q1 FFO and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management commentary and analyst write-ups point to improving national demand — Earnings call transcripts and a Seeking Alpha analysis highlight strengthening national ad spend and share gains in several markets, underpinning bullish sentiment. Improving National Demand Adds To The Bull Case Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage and transcripts provide color but no material change to long-term guidance — the release focused on quarter results and demand trends; investors will watch whether revenue momentum sustains. Yahoo Markets: Lamar Tops Q1 Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet and liquidity remain a watch item — the company carries high leverage (debt-to-equity around 3.1) and low current/quick ratios (~0.58), which could amplify downside if ad demand weakens or rates rise. MarketBeat LAMR Overview

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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