Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. $LTH

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group boosted its Q4 holding in Life Time Group by 4.6% to 2,192,214 shares (about 0.99%) worth ~$58.3M, as part of heavy institutional ownership (~79.4%).
• Life Time posted a Q1 beat and an upbeat outlook and completed a major share-repurchase program, while analyst upgrades and higher price targets (e.g., Mizuho, Wells Fargo) act as positive catalysts for the stock.
• Significant insider selling and tight liquidity: insiders sold 5.54M shares in the last 90 days (including a 2.49M-share director sale), and the company’s quick and current ratios (~0.52 and ~0.53) could heighten near-term volatility.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LTH - Free Report) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,192,214 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 96,796 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.99% of Life Time Group worth $58,269,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Life Time Group by 144.5% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,220 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 721 shares during the last quarter. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Life Time Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Life Time Group by 201.6% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,499 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 1,002 shares during the period. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in Life Time Group in the third quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Life Time Group by 74.8% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,862 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 1,225 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.40% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Life Time Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Life Time Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and upbeat outlook — Life Time reported stronger-than-expected Q1 results and management commentary that highlighted growth momentum, which kicked off a recent rally. Life Time Group (LTH) Soars 12% on Stellar Earnings, Upbeat Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Completed major share repurchase — The company announced completion of a previously disclosed large repurchase transaction, reducing float and signaling capital-return priority. Life Time Group Completes Major Share Repurchase Transaction
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic investor entry and additional repurchase disclosure — Announcements around a $62.71M repurchase program and a strategic investor participation add credibility to the buyback plan. Life Time announces $62.71M share repurchase and strategic investor entry
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher targets — Mizuho raised its price target to $44 (outperform) and Wells Fargo raised its target to $38 (overweight), providing further support for the stock’s upside case. Analyst coverage/price target updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic small acquisition — Life Time acquired the Phoenix 10K race, expanding its events/running portfolio; a niche brand tuck-in that supports community engagement but is unlikely to move near-term earnings materially. Life Time Expands Running Portfolio with Acquisition of the Phoenix 10K
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing analyst interest — Several outlets featured LTH among consumer-cyclical picks, which helps visibility but may already be priced in after recent upgrades. Analysts’ Top Consumer Cyclical Picks
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking, high volume and liquidity metrics — The stock is pulling back on above-average volume after the post-earnings run; shorter-term technical resistance and limited short-term liquidity (quick ratio ~0.52, current ratio ~0.63) may amplify intraday weakness.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on LTH shares. Zacks Research upgraded Life Time Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Northland Securities set a $42.00 price target on Life Time Group in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Life Time Group from $41.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Life Time Group from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, KeyCorp assumed coverage on Life Time Group in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $40.40.

Life Time Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LTH opened at $32.10 on Friday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $27.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.53. Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $24.14 and a one year high of $34.99. The firm has a market cap of $7.15 billion, a PE ratio of 18.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.50.

Life Time Group (NYSE:LTH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $788.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $787.65 million. Life Time Group had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 12.56%.The business's revenue was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.39 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Life Time Group

In related news, Director John Kristofer Galashan sold 2,493,083 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.60, for a total value of $71,302,173.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 22,412,978 shares of the company's stock, valued at $641,011,170.80. The trade was a 10.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Parham Javaheri sold 11,060 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.46, for a total transaction of $292,647.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 315,175 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,339,530.50. This represents a 3.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 5,540,674 shares of company stock worth $158,435,794. 13.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Life Time Group Profile

Life Time Group NYSE: LTH is a premier operator of health, fitness and lifestyle centers across North America. The company's core business encompasses the development, ownership and management of premium athletic resorts that integrate state-of-the-art fitness facilities, group exercise studios, indoor and outdoor pools, running tracks, and spa and salon services. In addition to its brick-and-mortar clubs, Life Time offers a digital platform featuring on-demand and live-streamed workouts, personalized training programs and nutrition guidance, enabling members to pursue their wellness goals both at home and on the go.

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Life Time has grown from a single Minnesota health club into a network of more than 160 locations across the United States and Canada.

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