Mariner LLC Sells 9,249 Shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Mariner LLC lessened its holdings in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 124,530 shares of the auto parts company's stock after selling 9,249 shares during the period. Mariner LLC's holdings in LKQ were worth $4,576,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LKQ. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 4th quarter worth $119,395,000. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in LKQ during the 4th quarter worth $91,678,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of LKQ by 26.6% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,571,136 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $204,739,000 after purchasing an additional 1,171,481 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of LKQ in the fourth quarter worth about $40,363,000. Finally, FIL Ltd lifted its position in shares of LKQ by 1,008.7% during the 4th quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 964,923 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $35,461,000 after purchasing an additional 877,888 shares during the last quarter. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

LKQ Price Performance

NASDAQ:LKQ traded down $4.94 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $37.19. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,293,981 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,270,337. LKQ Co. has a fifty-two week low of $35.56 and a fifty-two week high of $46.64. The company has a market capitalization of $9.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.19 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $41.54 and a 200-day moving average of $39.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79. LKQ had a return on equity of 14.93% and a net margin of 4.81%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that LKQ Co. will post 3.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. LKQ's dividend payout ratio is 45.80%.

Insider Activity

In other LKQ news, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.32, for a total value of $634,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 336,135 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,225,233.20. This trade represents a 4.27 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 45,000 shares of company stock worth $1,864,350. Insiders own 0.55% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

LKQ 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.