LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) has received a consensus rating of “Buy” from the five brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $58.00.

Several research firms have weighed in on LKQ. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of LKQ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday.

Insider Activity

In other LKQ news, SVP Matthew J. Mckay acquired 2,500 shares of LKQ stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.75 per share, for a total transaction of $99,375.00. Following the purchase, the senior vice president now owns 94,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,763,132.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, SVP Matthew J. Mckay acquired 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.75 per share, with a total value of $99,375.00. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president now owns 94,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,763,132.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Andrew C. Clarke bought 7,600 shares of LKQ stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.70 per share, with a total value of $301,720.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,519 shares in the company, valued at $417,604.30. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired a total of 12,600 shares of company stock valued at $500,870 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LKQ

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Homestead Advisers Corp purchased a new position in LKQ in the 4th quarter worth approximately $20,583,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 2nd quarter worth $3,839,000. KBC Group NV grew its position in LKQ by 49.2% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 689,041 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $32,929,000 after acquiring an additional 227,314 shares in the last quarter. CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp bought a new position in LKQ in the first quarter valued at $1,468,000. Finally, Capital World Investors raised its position in LKQ by 91.0% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 582,953 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $31,136,000 after purchasing an additional 277,700 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.63% of the company’s stock.

LKQ Price Performance

LKQ opened at $40.77 on Friday. LKQ has a fifty-two week low of $35.57 and a fifty-two week high of $53.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.24 and a beta of 1.29. The company’s 50-day moving average is $41.30 and its 200 day moving average is $44.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The auto parts company reported $0.98 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.03 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $3.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.87 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 5.03%. LKQ’s quarterly revenue was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.09 EPS. Research analysts expect that LKQ will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.94%. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.96%.

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.