LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) Stake Lowered by Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lessened its holdings in shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) by 39.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,387 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 6,110 shares during the quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board’s holdings in LKQ were worth $449,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LKQ. CVA Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in LKQ by 228.4% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 647 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 450 shares during the last quarter. Headinvest LLC bought a new stake in LKQ during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

LKQ Stock Performance

LKQ opened at $42.92 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $47.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $11.45 billion, a PE ratio of 13.94 and a beta of 1.33. LKQ Co. has a 1 year low of $41.30 and a 1 year high of $59.38.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The auto parts company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.95 by ($0.13). The business had revenue of $3.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.76 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 5.79%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that LKQ Co. will post 3.93 EPS for the current year.

LKQ Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 15th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.80%. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.96%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on LKQ shares. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of LKQ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of LKQ from $58.00 to $54.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $66.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $61.60.

Insider Activity at LKQ

In other LKQ news, CEO Dominick P. Zarcone sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.97, for a total transaction of $10,394,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 386,522 shares in the company, valued at $20,087,548.34. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Xavier Urbain sold 867 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.50, for a total transaction of $38,581.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 15,606 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $694,467. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Dominick P. Zarcone sold 200,000 shares of LKQ stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.97, for a total value of $10,394,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 386,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,087,548.34. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.45% of the stock is owned by insiders.

LKQ Profile

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.