Lear Corporation $LEA Position Increased by Leuthold Group LLC

Leuthold Group LLC increased its position in shares of Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) by 41.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 47,513 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after buying an additional 13,937 shares during the quarter. Leuthold Group LLC’s holdings in Lear were worth $5,445,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lear by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,389 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Lear by 32.0% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 408 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Lakewood Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Lear by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Lakewood Asset Management LLC now owns 13,644 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $1,564,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lear by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $211,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. Finally, Waterfront Wealth Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lear by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 16,834 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $1,685,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. 97.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lear declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.77 per share, signaling confidence in cash generation and returning capital to shareholders. Lear Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its price target on Lear to $153 from $152 and reiterated an overweight rating, reinforcing a bullish outlook for the stock. JPMorgan raises Lear price target
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays also lifted its price target on Lear to $150 from $140, suggesting analysts see more upside after the company’s recent earnings report. Barclays raises its price target on Lear Corporation
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlighted Lear as strengthening within the Russell 1000 and as a notable EV supply-chain name, but these items are more descriptive than immediately market-moving.
• Neutral Sentiment: News about Trump-Xi trade talks could matter for global auto parts sentiment, but the articles provided did not mention any Lear-specific tariffs, supply-chain disruptions, or demand changes.

Lear Price Performance

Shares of LEA stock opened at $132.57 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Lear Corporation has a 12-month low of $86.14 and a 12-month high of $142.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $123.96 and a 200-day moving average of $120.15.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The auto parts company reported $3.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.51 by $0.36. The firm had revenue of $5.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.84 billion. Lear had a net margin of 2.25% and a return on equity of 13.69%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.12 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lear Corporation will post 14.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 3rd will be paid a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 3rd. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Lear’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.80%.

Insider Activity at Lear

In related news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.51, for a total value of $1,345,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 22,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,058,891.91. This represents a 30.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total transaction of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,374,929.13. The trade was a 28.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 25,264 shares of company stock valued at $3,400,687 in the last quarter. 1.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lear in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Lear from $126.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Lear from $145.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $130.00 price target on shares of Lear in a report on Monday, May 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lear presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $140.54.

Lear Company Profile

Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) is a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems. The company designs, engineers and manufactures complete seat systems, seat components and power solutions for major vehicle manufacturers. Its electrical business delivers modules and components for battery management, infotainment, body and safety electronics, as well as advanced connectivity and electrification solutions.

The seating division develops lightweight, ergonomic seat structures, trim and mechanisms that address comfort, safety and environmental targets.