Dean Investment Associates LLC Grows Holdings in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Dean Investment Associates LLC increased its holdings in shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) by 1,668.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 90,096 shares of the auto parts company's stock after buying an additional 85,000 shares during the quarter. Dean Investment Associates LLC's holdings in LKQ were worth $3,597,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of LKQ. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC increased its holdings in shares of LKQ by 1.9% during the third quarter. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC now owns 67,758 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $2,705,000 after buying an additional 1,288 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC raised its position in LKQ by 4.2% in the third quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 42,444 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $1,694,000 after purchasing an additional 1,697 shares during the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ during the third quarter valued at about $323,000. National Bank of Canada FI raised its holdings in LKQ by 77.5% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 139,228 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $5,558,000 after buying an additional 60,768 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wolverine Trading LLC acquired a new stake in LKQ during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $298,000. 95.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

LKQ Trading Down 2.1 %

NASDAQ LKQ traded down $0.83 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $38.89. 3,178,653 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,934,160. The firm has a market cap of $10.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.51 and a beta of 1.29. LKQ Co. has a 1-year low of $35.57 and a 1-year high of $53.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.42.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87 by $0.01. LKQ had a return on equity of 15.15% and a net margin of 4.90%. The business had revenue of $3.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.65 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.86 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that LKQ Co. will post 3.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 14th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 14th. LKQ's dividend payout ratio is currently 44.78%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on LKQ. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of LKQ from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com raised LKQ from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, November 18th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on LKQ from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and set a $59.00 target price 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.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $53.80.

LKQ Company 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.