Vanguard Group Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated $JLL

Key Points

• Vanguard Group trimmed its stake in Jones Lang LaSalle by 0.9% to 6,792,722 shares, still owning about 14.39% of the company valued at $2.285 billion.
• Company insiders have been selling: CEO Richard Bloxam sold 5,440 shares (~$1.62M) and director Deborah H. McAneny sold 2,500 shares (~$751k), with insiders now owning just 0.91% of the stock.
• JLL beat quarterly expectations (EPS $8.71 vs. $7.25; revenue $7.61B vs. $7.45B) and carries an average analyst stance of "Moderate Buy" with a $365.33 consensus price target.

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its stake in Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL - Free Report) by 0.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,792,722 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 62,468 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 14.39% of Jones Lang LaSalle worth $2,285,547,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. bought a new stake in Jones Lang LaSalle during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Chilton Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Jones Lang LaSalle by 33.0% in the 3rd quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 133 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Jones Lang LaSalle in the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle during the third quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 13,200.0% in the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 133 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. 94.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Richard Bloxam sold 5,440 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.94, for a total transaction of $1,615,353.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Deborah H. Mcaneny sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $300.50, for a total value of $751,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 14,985 shares in the company, valued at $4,502,992.50. This trade represents a 14.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.91% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Jones Lang LaSalle from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from $405.00 to $380.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Zacks Research cut shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Jones Lang LaSalle from $425.00 to $445.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $365.33.

Jones Lang LaSalle Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE:JLL opened at $338.87 on Thursday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $314.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $321.58. Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated has a one year low of $211.86 and a one year high of $363.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.65 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23.

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $8.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.25 by $1.46. The company had revenue of $7.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.45 billion. Jones Lang LaSalle had a return on equity of 12.50% and a net margin of 3.03%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.15 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated will post 21.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jones Lang LaSalle Company Profile

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated NYSE: JLL is a leading professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management. The company provides a broad range of services including leasing, advisory, property and asset management, capital markets, project and development services, and valuation. Through its integrated platform, JLL serves corporate occupiers, institutional investors, real estate owners and developers, offering tailored solutions that span the entire real estate lifecycle.

Founded in 1783 in London as Jones Lang Wootton, the firm established a reputation for expertise in property management and brokerage.

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