LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Downgraded to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on LKQ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, September 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on LKQ from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on LKQ from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Barrington Research reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a report on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $53.80.

LKQ Trading Up 0.3 %

LKQ stock traded up $0.10 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $37.66. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,416,890 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,925,838. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.05 and a beta of 1.29. LKQ has a 1 year low of $35.57 and a 1 year high of $53.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.72. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.29.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.65 billion. LKQ had a net margin of 4.90% and a return on equity of 15.15%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that LKQ will post 3.43 EPS for the current year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 14th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.19%. LKQ's payout ratio is presently 44.78%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LKQ

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of LKQ by 1.2% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,552,916 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $61,992,000 after purchasing an additional 18,004 shares in the last quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of LKQ in the third quarter worth $826,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of LKQ by 23.3% during the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 83,250 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $3,323,000 after acquiring an additional 15,745 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of LKQ by 1.6% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 679,430 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $27,123,000 after acquiring an additional 10,912 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ in the third quarter valued at $274,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.