LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors bought 4,936 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 514% compared to the typical daily volume of 804 call options.

LKQ Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ LKQ opened at $22.78 on Friday. LKQ has a 52-week low of $21.17 and a 52-week high of $37.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.66 and a beta of 0.87. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $24.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.44.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The auto parts company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.71 by ($0.04). LKQ had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 10.84%. The business had revenue of $3.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.48 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.87 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. LKQ has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.600-2.900 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that LKQ will post 2.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.3%. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.67%.

Institutional Trading of LKQ

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,015,096,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of LKQ during the second quarter worth approximately $398,696,000. Nykredit A S bought a new position in LKQ in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $84,795,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in LKQ in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $76,343,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in LKQ in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $58,221,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.63% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on LKQ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of LKQ from $37.00 to $30.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Stephens lowered their price target on LKQ from $39.00 to $36.50 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Roth Capital set a $35.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Zacks Research cut LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $30.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, LKQ presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $31.08.

About LKQ

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) is a global distributor of replacement parts, components and accessories for automobiles, trucks and other vehicles. The company supplies collision and mechanical repair businesses, insurers, professional service providers, retailers and do-it-yourself customers with a broad range of products.

Its offerings include new aftermarket parts, recycled original-equipment parts, remanufactured and refurbished components, specialty vehicle equipment, tools and accessories.