Short Interest in Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL) Declines By 13.7%

Key Points

• Short interest in Jones Lang LaSalle fell 13.7% in March to 639,320 shares, equal to 1.4% of shares sold short and a short-interest ratio of 1.4 days.
• JLL reported a quarterly beat with EPS of $8.71 (vs. $7.25 expected) and revenue of $7.61 billion, up 11.7% year-over-year.
• Analysts hold a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $363.17 target, though recent price-target revisions range roughly from $355 to $425.

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 639,320 shares, a drop of 13.7% from the February 26th total of 740,967 shares. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 454,744 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on JLL shares. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from $410.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from $360.00 to $355.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on Jones Lang LaSalle from $405.00 to $380.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Jones Lang LaSalle has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $363.17.

Jones Lang LaSalle Price Performance

Shares of JLL stock traded up $4.36 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $301.36. 42,855 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 538,958. The company has a quick ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Jones Lang LaSalle has a 52-week low of $194.36 and a 52-week high of $363.06. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $316.86 and a 200 day moving average of $317.72. The company has a market cap of $14.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.38 and a beta of 1.42.

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $8.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.25 by $1.46. Jones Lang LaSalle had a return on equity of 12.50% and a net margin of 3.03%.The company had revenue of $7.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.45 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.15 EPS. Jones Lang LaSalle's quarterly revenue was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Jones Lang LaSalle will post 16.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Jones Lang LaSalle

In other Jones Lang LaSalle news, Director Deborah H. Mcaneny sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.50, for a total transaction of $751,250.00. Following the sale, the director owned 14,985 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,992.50. The trade was a 14.30% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Richard Bloxam sold 5,440 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.94, for a total value of $1,615,353.60. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.91% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jones Lang LaSalle

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Jones Lang LaSalle during the third quarter valued at $25,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its position in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 1,720.0% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 91 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Jones Lang LaSalle in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Chilton Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.80% of the company's stock.

About Jones Lang LaSalle

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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