LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) Shares Purchased by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA - Free Report) by 5.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 846,067 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 45,476 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 1.13% of LPL Financial worth $276,256,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of LPL Financial by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 725,572 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $236,907,000 after buying an additional 25,538 shares during the period. Teca Partners LP grew its position in LPL Financial by 251.1% during the fourth quarter. Teca Partners LP now owns 52,875 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $17,264,000 after acquiring an additional 37,814 shares during the period. Farringdon Capital Ltd. acquired a new stake in LPL Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $513,000. Stenger Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of LPL Financial in the 4th quarter worth about $1,837,000. Finally, United Capital Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of LPL Financial by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,203 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $393,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. 95.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

LPL Financial Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of LPLA stock traded down $1.30 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $314.54. 428,773 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 827,851. The stock has a market capitalization of $24.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.40, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.64. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $187.19 and a one year high of $384.04. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $327.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $323.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 2.16.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.24. LPL Financial had a return on equity of 49.41% and a net margin of 8.55%. Sell-side analysts predict that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. will post 19.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 11th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.38%. LPL Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 8.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LPL Financial

In other news, CFO Matthew J. Audette sold 4,588 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.07, for a total transaction of $1,652,001.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 16,538 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,954,837.66. This represents a 21.72 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Marc Eliot Cohen sold 1,100 shares of LPL Financial stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.85, for a total transaction of $402,435.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,075 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,490,838.75. This represents a 21.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 34,465 shares of company stock worth $12,562,070 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $415.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on LPL Financial from $405.00 to $342.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on LPL Financial from $379.00 to $413.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on LPL Financial from $390.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $369.83.

LPL Financial Profile

LPL Financial Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors and financial advisors at enterprises in the United States. Its brokerage offerings include variable and fixed annuities, mutual funds, equities, fixed income, alternative investments, retirement and 529 education savings plans, and insurance.