LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Upgraded at StockNews.com

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

LKQ has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $52.60.

LKQ Trading Up 1.3 %

LKQ stock traded up $0.51 during trading on Thursday, reaching $40.91. The company had a trading volume of 2,034,395 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,088,661. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.61 and a beta of 1.28. LKQ has a 12-month low of $35.56 and a 12-month high of $53.68. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $39.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.91.

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LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The auto parts company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.42 billion. LKQ had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 14.93%. As a group, equities analysts expect that LKQ will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at LKQ

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cromwell Holdings LLC lifted its stake in LKQ by 81.0% during the fourth quarter. Cromwell Holdings LLC now owns 742 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in shares of LKQ by 31.2% in the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,256 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 299 shares during the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 618.0% in the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 1,673 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 1,440 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 3rd quarter valued at about $81,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in LKQ by 107.8% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,099 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $82,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.63% 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.