Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Invests $1.11 Million in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 30,320 shares of the auto parts company's stock, valued at approximately $1,114,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of LKQ. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC lifted its stake in shares of LKQ by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC now owns 69,201 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $2,543,000 after buying an additional 1,443 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of LKQ by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 12,231 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $449,000 after acquiring an additional 1,915 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp lifted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 14.6% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Markets Corp now owns 41,177 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $1,513,000 after acquiring an additional 5,254 shares during the period. Twin Tree Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ in the fourth quarter worth approximately $9,608,000. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV grew its holdings in LKQ by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 22,485 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $826,000 after purchasing an additional 1,196 shares during the period. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on LKQ shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of LKQ from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $52.60.

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LKQ Stock Down 0.3 %

LKQ stock traded down $0.13 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $40.78. 3,927,546 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,088,239. The company's 50-day moving average is $39.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.71. LKQ Co. has a 52-week low of $35.56 and a 52-week high of $53.68. The firm has a market cap of $10.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.56 and a beta of 1.28.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 20th. The auto parts company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.42 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 14.93% and a net margin of 4.81%. On average, analysts predict that LKQ Co. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.94%. LKQ's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.80%.

Insider Activity at LKQ

In related news, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.14, for a total value of $180,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 369,462 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,352,356.68. This represents a 1.34 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In the last three months, insiders sold 35,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,416,300. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

About LKQ

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.