LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Trading 0.5% Higher – Time to Buy?

LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)’s share price was up 0.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $38.36 and last traded at $38.16. Approximately 240,729 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 1,952,603 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on LKQ from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a research note on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $53.80.

LKQ Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.72. The stock has a market cap of $9.65 billion, a PE ratio of 14.24 and a beta of 1.29.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.65 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 15.15% and a net margin of 4.90%. The business’s revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.86 EPS. Analysts expect that LKQ Co. will post 3.43 earnings per share for the current year.

LKQ Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 14th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.23%. LKQ’s payout ratio is 44.78%.

Institutional Trading of LKQ

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Erste Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in LKQ in the 3rd quarter worth about $45,733,000. Seizert Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in LKQ by 451.1% during the third quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,327,664 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $53,000,000 after acquiring an additional 1,086,758 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in LKQ by 552.8% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,236,158 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $51,412,000 after acquiring an additional 1,046,805 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in LKQ by 7.9% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 11,944,496 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $496,772,000 after purchasing an additional 875,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cooke & Bieler LP boosted its holdings in LKQ by 39.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 3,067,772 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $127,589,000 after purchasing an additional 873,665 shares during the period. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.