PharVision Advisers LLC Makes New Investment in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)

PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 9,690 shares of the auto parts company's stock, valued at approximately $356,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LKQ. Cromwell Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of LKQ by 81.0% in the fourth quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 742 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its position in LKQ by 618.0% during the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,673 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 1,440 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in LKQ by 107.8% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,099 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in LKQ by 25.9% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,847 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 585 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in LKQ by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 2,890 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $106,000 after purchasing an additional 1,389 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.63% of the company's stock.

LKQ Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of LKQ stock traded up $0.58 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $40.77. The stock had a trading volume of 378,254 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,272,911. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $40.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.49. The firm has a market cap of $10.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.56 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. LKQ Co. has a 12-month low of $35.56 and a 12-month high of $46.64.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.79. LKQ had a return on equity of 14.93% and a net margin of 4.81%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.82 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that LKQ Co. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.94%. LKQ's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a report on Monday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut LKQ from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $52.60.

Insider Buying and Selling at LKQ

In other news, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.32, for a total value of $634,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 336,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,225,233.20. This represents a 4.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Justin L. Jude acquired 2,708 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $36.99 per share, with a total value of $100,168.92. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 280,777 shares in the company, valued at $10,385,941.23. This trade represents a 0.97% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold 35,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,457,150 over the last 90 days. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

LKQ Company Profile

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.