Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Boosts Stake in Lear Corporation $LEA

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs increased its stake in Lear by 37.7% in Q4, adding 13,369 shares to hold 48,867 shares (0.09% of the company) valued at about $5.61 million.
• Lear beat Q4 expectations with $3.41 EPS versus $2.67 estimated and revenue of $5.99 billion (up 4.8% YoY); analysts project full‑year EPS of 14.19 and the consensus price target is $134.92 (average rating: Hold).
• The company declared a $0.77 quarterly dividend (annualized $3.08, ~2.5% yield), while insiders sold roughly 25,264 shares worth $3.4 million in the last 90 days and institutional investors own about 97.04% of the stock.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH lifted its stake in Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA - Free Report) by 37.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 48,867 shares of the auto parts company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,369 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.09% of Lear worth $5,611,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Lear by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,784,110 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $280,106,000 after purchasing an additional 57,443 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in shares of Lear by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,825,057 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $182,688,000 after purchasing an additional 23,773 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lear by 23.6% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,569,341 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $157,891,000 after purchasing an additional 299,841 shares in the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lear by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 734,087 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $73,856,000 after purchasing an additional 125,422 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management increased its stake in shares of Lear by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 680,931 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $68,508,000 after purchasing an additional 31,203 shares in the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lear Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:LEA opened at $124.29 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Lear Corporation has a 12 month low of $82.88 and a 12 month high of $142.84. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $123.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.63. The company has a market cap of $6.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.25, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.24.

Lear (NYSE:LEA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.74. Lear had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 13.40%. The firm had revenue of $5.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.78 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.94 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lear Corporation will post 14.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th were issued a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Lear's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.79%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on LEA. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Lear in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Lear in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. They issued a "sector perform" rating and a $135.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Lear from $129.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Lear in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Lear from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lear currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $134.92.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lear

In related news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.51, for a total value of $1,345,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 22,741 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,058,891.91. This trade represents a 30.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total transaction of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,423 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,374,929.13. The trade was a 28.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 25,264 shares of company stock worth $3,400,687 in the last 90 days. 1.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Lear

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other earnings-preview coverage include Lear among auto suppliers expected to beat Q1 estimates, which supports the case that near‑term results and margin improvements could validate the stock’s current valuation. This analyst-tone gives buyers a reason to step in ahead of earnings and offsets some negative commentary. 4 Auto Companies Likely to Beat Earnings Expectations in Q1
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece takes a cautious/bearish stance on Lear, arguing the company isn’t positioned to “buckle up” for sustained upside. The article highlights concerns about near‑term headwinds for auto suppliers (cyclicality, margin pressure and transition risks in the industry) that could cap upside and prompt profit‑taking by investors. That negative narrative is the main driver putting downward pressure on the stock today. Lear: Not Ready To Buckle Up

Lear Company Profile

Lear Corporation NYSE: LEA is a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems. The company designs, engineers and manufactures complete seat systems, seat components and power solutions for major vehicle manufacturers. Its electrical business delivers modules and components for battery management, infotainment, body and safety electronics, as well as advanced connectivity and electrification solutions.

The seating division develops lightweight, ergonomic seat structures, trim and mechanisms that address comfort, safety and environmental targets.

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