Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR) Hits New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• 52-week high: Lamar shares reached a new 52-week high of $139.83, and MarketBeat shows a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $139.80 and a split of 3 Buy / 3 Hold analyst ratings.
• Quarterly results missed: The company reported $1.50 EPS versus $2.18 expected while revenue of $595.9M was roughly in line, and it set FY2026 guidance of $5.72–$5.83 EPS compared with analysts' average forecast of about $8.23.
• Dividend bump but financial caution: Lamar raised its quarterly dividend to $1.60 (a $6.40 annual payout and ~4.6% yield), but the payout ratio is 110.9% and the balance sheet shows high leverage (debt-to-equity 3.10 and current ratio 0.58).

Lamar Advertising Company (NASDAQ:LAMR - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $139.83 and last traded at $138.6780, with a volume of 13641 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $137.84.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Lamar Advertising in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lamar Advertising from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Lamar Advertising in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Lamar Advertising from $121.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $139.80.

Lamar Advertising Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $132.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $129.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.21 billion, a PE ratio of 24.30 and a beta of 1.20.

Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 20th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.18 by ($0.68). The business had revenue of $595.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $592.70 million. Lamar Advertising had a return on equity of 58.58% and a net margin of 25.91%.Lamar Advertising has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.720-5.830 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Lamar Advertising Company will post 8.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Lamar Advertising Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This is an increase from Lamar Advertising's previous quarterly dividend of $1.55. Lamar Advertising's dividend payout ratio is presently 110.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lamar Advertising news, EVP Ross Lamar Reilly sold 5,969 shares of Lamar Advertising stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.65, for a total value of $767,911.85. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 15,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,039,102.50. The trade was a 27.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 15.24% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lamar Advertising

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LAMR. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Lamar Advertising in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $510,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in Lamar Advertising by 250.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 47,604 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $5,777,000 after acquiring an additional 34,002 shares during the period. Amundi grew its stake in Lamar Advertising by 224.6% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,048 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 1,417 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in Lamar Advertising in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $873,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in Lamar Advertising by 39.0% in the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 37,166 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $4,510,000 after acquiring an additional 10,423 shares during the period. 93.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lamar Advertising

Lamar Advertising Company NASDAQ: LAMR is one of North America's largest outdoor advertising firms, specializing in out-of-home media solutions. Since its founding in 1902, the company has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to offer a broad portfolio of advertising products. Its core business centers on billboard advertising, encompassing traditional static billboards and a rapidly expanding network of digital displays. These assets enable advertisers to reach consumers with high-impact messaging along highways, in urban centers, and at high-traffic intersections.

In addition to highway billboards, Lamar offers a variety of supplemental out-of-home formats, including transit advertising on buses and shelters, and logo signage at travel plazas and gas stations.

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