LKQ's (LKQ) "Outperform" Rating Reaffirmed at Barrington Research

Barrington Research reaffirmed their outperform rating on shares of LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Barrington Research currently has a $60.00 price objective on the auto parts company's stock.

LKQ has been the subject of several other reports. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a buy rating and issued a $66.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of LKQ from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of LKQ from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $63.50.

LKQ Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of LKQ traded up $0.54 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $49.12. 1,506,365 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,533,127. The firm has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.03 and a beta of 1.28. LKQ has a 12-month low of $41.49 and a 12-month high of $59.38. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $51.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $48.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The auto parts company reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.08. LKQ had a net margin of 6.75% and a return on equity of 17.24%. The business had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that LKQ will post 4.07 earnings per share for the current year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 14th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 13th. LKQ's dividend payout ratio is presently 34.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LKQ

In other news, CEO Dominick P. Zarcone sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.97, for a total value of $10,394,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 386,522 shares of the company's stock, valued at $20,087,548.34. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LKQ

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in LKQ during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. CVA Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of LKQ during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Clear Street Markets LLC grew its stake in LKQ by 94.1% in the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 497 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its position in LKQ by 81.1% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 623 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in shares of LKQ by 228.4% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 647 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 450 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.63% of the company's stock.

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.