42,537 Shares in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) Acquired by Qsemble Capital Management LP

Qsemble Capital Management LP bought a new stake in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 42,537 shares of the auto parts company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,769,000.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LKQ. Homestead Advisers Corp acquired a new position in shares of LKQ in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $20,583,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of LKQ in the second quarter worth $3,839,000. KBC Group NV increased its position in shares of LKQ by 49.2% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 689,041 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $32,929,000 after acquiring an additional 227,314 shares during the period. CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ in the first quarter valued at $1,468,000. Finally, Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in LKQ by 91.0% in the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 582,953 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $31,136,000 after purchasing an additional 277,700 shares during the period. 95.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on LKQ. StockNews.com upgraded LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 26th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $60.80.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other LKQ news, CEO Justin L. Jude bought 2,500 shares of LKQ stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.91 per share, with a total value of $99,775.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 207,515 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,281,923.65. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, Director Andrew C. Clarke acquired 7,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.70 per share, with a total value of $301,720.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 10,519 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $417,604.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Justin L. Jude acquired 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.91 per share, with a total value of $99,775.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 207,515 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,281,923.65. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have acquired 12,600 shares of company stock valued at $500,870. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

LKQ Stock Performance

Shares of LKQ opened at $38.83 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. LKQ Co. has a 52-week low of $35.57 and a 52-week high of $53.68. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $41.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $44.82. The company has a market capitalization of $10.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.61 and a beta of 1.29.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The auto parts company reported $0.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.03 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $3.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.87 billion. LKQ had a net margin of 5.03% and a return on equity of 15.33%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that LKQ Co. will post 3.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.96%.

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.