Whittier Trust Co. Boosts Stock Position in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. $LPLA

Key Points

• Whittier Trust Co. increased its stake in LPL Financial by 11.2% in the first quarter, adding 4,070 shares to bring its total to 40,451 shares valued at about $11.9 million.
• LPL Financial reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the quarter, posting $5.60 per share versus estimates of $5.49, while revenue rose 34.6% year over year to $4.94 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $398.86, even as some firms trimmed their targets.

Whittier Trust Co. raised its holdings in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA - Free Report) by 11.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 40,451 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 4,070 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. owned about 0.05% of LPL Financial worth $11,911,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in LPLA. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in LPL Financial in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of LPL Financial by 3,650.0% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 75 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. raised its stake in LPL Financial by 550.0% during the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 78 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in LPL Financial in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in LPL Financial by 580.0% in the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 136 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.66% of the company's stock.

LPL Financial Trading Up 0.4%

LPLA traded up $1.08 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $305.83. The company's stock had a trading volume of 81,624 shares, compared to its average volume of 992,678. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a 52-week low of $260.15 and a 52-week high of $403.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $294.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $321.04. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market cap of $24.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.30, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.50.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $5.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.49 by $0.11. LPL Financial had a net margin of 4.93% and a return on equity of 31.26%. The business had revenue of $4.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.15 EPS. The company's revenue was up 34.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. will post 22.94 earnings per share for the current year.

LPL Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. LPL Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.71%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LPLA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on LPL Financial from $464.00 to $383.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $396.00 to $390.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citizens Jmp reiterated a "market outperform" rating and set a $500.00 price target on shares of LPL Financial in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods began coverage on shares of LPL Financial in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $350.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of LPL Financial in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $398.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Matthew J. Audette sold 1,110 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $330.01, for a total transaction of $366,311.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 19,803 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,535,188.03. The trade was a 5.31% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Aneri Jambusaria sold 308 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total value of $94,248.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,415 shares in the company, valued at $1,962,990. This trade represents a 4.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,887 shares of company stock worth $613,144. 0.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial NASDAQ: LPLA is a U.S.-focused financial services firm that provides brokerage, custodial and advisory platforms to independent financial advisors, registered investment advisers and institutions. Operating primarily as an independent broker-dealer and custodian, the company supports a network of advisors with the operational, compliance and clearing infrastructure needed to manage client accounts and deliver investment advice outside of traditional wirehouse models.

The firm's product and service offerings include trade execution and clearing, custody services, retirement plan services, model portfolio and advisory platforms, wealth management technology, investment research and product access across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and insurance and annuity solutions.

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