LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Upgraded by StockNews.com to "Buy"

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Monday.

LKQ has been the topic of several other reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of LKQ from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research note on Friday. Roth Mkm reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, September 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of LKQ from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $53.80.

LKQ Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LKQ traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $37.76. 2,573,436 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,906,118. LKQ has a 1 year low of $35.57 and a 1 year high of $53.68. The company has a market cap of $10.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.75. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.77.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.01. LKQ had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 5.03%. The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that LKQ will post 3.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Handelsinvest Investeringsforvaltning increased its position in LKQ by 26.5% during the first quarter. Handelsinvest Investeringsforvaltning now owns 20,662 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 4,326 shares during the last quarter. Norden Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of LKQ in the 1st quarter worth approximately $403,000. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. increased its stake in LKQ by 20.2% during the first quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 6,886 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 1,159 shares during the last quarter. Leeward Investments LLC MA lifted its holdings in LKQ by 3.4% in the first quarter. Leeward Investments LLC MA now owns 388,875 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $20,770,000 after acquiring an additional 12,935 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FORVIS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in LKQ by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. FORVIS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 88,251 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $4,714,000 after purchasing an additional 4,815 shares during the period. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

LKQ Company 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.

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