LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) Receives $52.60 Consensus Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Buy" from the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $52.60.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com cut LKQ from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research note on Monday, April 21st.

Insider Activity at LKQ

In related news, CEO Justin L. Jude acquired 2,708 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $36.99 per share, for a total transaction of $100,168.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 280,777 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,385,941.23. This trade represents a 0.97 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.66, for a total transaction of $416,600.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 359,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,975,186.92. The trade was a 2.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 45,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,873,750 over the last three months. 0.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LKQ

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cromwell Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of LKQ by 81.0% during the fourth quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 742 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of LKQ by 104.8% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 977 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in LKQ during the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its stake in LKQ by 299.6% during the first quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,135 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 851 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CENTRAL TRUST Co grew its holdings in LKQ by 618.0% in the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,673 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 1,440 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.63% of the company's stock.

LKQ Stock Down 0.2 %

LKQ stock traded down $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $39.39. 2,112,039 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,265,223. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.03 and a beta of 0.98. LKQ has a 52-week low of $35.56 and a 52-week high of $46.64. The business's 50-day moving average price is $41.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.14.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79. The firm had revenue of $3.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.58 billion. LKQ had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 14.93%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.82 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that LKQ will post 3.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. LKQ's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.78%.

About LKQ

LKQ Corporation engages in the distribution of replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles and specialty vehicle aftermarket products and accessories. It operates through four segments: Wholesale-North America, Europe, Specialty, and Self Service. The company distributes bumper covers, automotive body panels, and lights, as well as mechanical automotive parts and accessories; salvage products, including mechanical and collision parts comprising engines; transmissions; door assemblies; sheet metal products, such as trunk lids, fenders, and hoods; lights and bumper assemblies; scrap metal and other materials to metals recyclers; and brake pads, discs and sensors, clutches, steering and suspension products, filters, and oil and automotive fluids, as well as electrical products, including spark plugs and batteries.