LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) Shares Up 4.4% – Should You Buy?

Shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) traded up 4.4% on Monday . The company traded as high as $40.24 and last traded at $40.21. 306,563 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 1,928,650 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.50.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 12th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of LKQ from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on LKQ from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of LKQ in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $53.80.

LKQ Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $38.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $40.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $10.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.90 and a beta of 1.29.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last announced its 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. The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.65 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 15.15% and a net margin of 4.90%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.86 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that LKQ Co. will post 3.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 14th. LKQ’s payout ratio is 44.78%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LKQ

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of LKQ during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new position in LKQ during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of LKQ by 94.2% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,010 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 490 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of LKQ by 33.5% in the third quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise boosted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 29.8% during the second quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 1,211 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.63% of the company’s stock.

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.