Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Makes New Investment in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 20,892 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $6,821,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Graney & King LLC acquired a new position in shares of LPL Financial during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in LPL Financial in the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in LPL Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in shares of LPL Financial by 45.3% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 138 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in LPL Financial in the 4th quarter valued at about $59,000. Institutional investors own 95.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LPLA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barclays increased their target price on LPL Financial from $365.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of LPL Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on LPL Financial from $415.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on LPL Financial from $405.00 to $342.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on LPL Financial from $330.00 to $450.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $377.50.

LPL Financial Stock Down 2.5%

LPLA stock traded down $9.78 on Wednesday, reaching $376.23. 498,224 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 836,738. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $339.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $340.41. The company has a market cap of $30.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.65. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $187.19 and a one year high of $390.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 2.16.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported $5.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.54 by $0.61. LPL Financial had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 49.41%. The company had revenue of $3.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.63 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.83 EPS. LPL Financial's revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. will post 19.35 earnings per share for the current year.

LPL Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 30th will be given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 30th. LPL Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.30%.

LPL Financial Profile

LPL Financial Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors and financial advisors at enterprises in the United States. Its brokerage offerings include variable and fixed annuities, mutual funds, equities, fixed income, alternative investments, retirement and 529 education savings plans, and insurance.