Aviva PLC Cuts Holdings in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Aviva PLC trimmed its position in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 828,504 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 31,017 shares during the period. Aviva PLC owned about 0.32% of LKQ worth $30,448,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cromwell Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of LKQ by 81.0% during the 4th quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 742 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its holdings in LKQ by 618.0% during the fourth quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,673 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 1,440 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in LKQ in the third quarter worth about $81,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in LKQ by 107.8% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,099 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of LKQ by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,815 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $112,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.63% of the company’s stock.

LKQ Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LKQ opened at $41.29 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $40.52 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.03. The company has a market cap of $10.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.76 and a beta of 1.09. LKQ Co. has a 12 month low of $35.56 and a 12 month high of $52.06.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The auto parts company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.04. LKQ had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 14.93%. The business had revenue of $3.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.42 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that LKQ Co. will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 13th. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on LKQ shares. StockNews.com upgraded LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $52.60.

Insider Buying and Selling at LKQ

In other news, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 5,000 shares of LKQ stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.14, for a total value of $180,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 369,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,352,356.68. The trade was a 1.34 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 45,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,864,350. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

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.