Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Increases Holdings in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. boosted its position in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA - Free Report) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 725,572 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 25,538 shares during the period. LPL Financial comprises 1.1% of Epoch Investment Partners Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.97% of LPL Financial worth $236,907,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Teca Partners LP grew its stake in LPL Financial by 251.1% in the fourth quarter. Teca Partners LP now owns 52,875 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $17,264,000 after purchasing an additional 37,814 shares in the last quarter. Farringdon Capital Ltd. acquired a new stake in LPL Financial during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $513,000. Stenger Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of LPL Financial in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,837,000. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC increased 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 valued at $393,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of LPL Financial by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 5,293 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,728,000 after purchasing an additional 1,793 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.66% of the company's stock.

LPL Financial Stock Performance

Shares of LPLA stock traded up $3.84 on Thursday, hitting $316.39. 347,163 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 914,341. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.10 billion, a PE ratio of 22.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60. The firm's 50 day moving average is $330.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $322.43. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $187.19 and a one year high of $384.04.

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

LPL Financial Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Matthew J. Audette sold 28,777 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.14, for a total value of $10,507,633.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,988,907.82. The trade was a 67.81 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Marc Eliot Cohen sold 1,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.85, for a total value of $402,435.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,075 shares in the company, valued at $1,490,838.75. This trade 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 valued at $12,562,070 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on LPLA shares. Citigroup cut their price target on LPL Financial from $415.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. StockNews.com cut shares of LPL Financial from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on LPL Financial from $397.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. JMP Securities reduced their price objective on shares of LPL Financial from $435.00 to $420.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $405.00 to $342.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $369.83.

About LPL Financial

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.