LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) Shares Sold by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC decreased its stake in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) by 24.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 192,408 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 61,022 shares during the period. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC owned 0.07% of LKQ worth $8,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 29.2% in the 1st quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 10,632 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $452,000 after buying an additional 2,404 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in LKQ by 104.8% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 977 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC boosted its stake in LKQ by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 67,181 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $2,858,000 after purchasing an additional 3,816 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in LKQ during the 1st quarter worth $544,000. Finally, Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its stake in LKQ by 21.0% during the 1st quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 79,533 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $3,383,000 after purchasing an additional 13,797 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.63% of the company’s stock.

LKQ Stock Up 0.3%

LKQ stock opened at $39.09 on Monday. LKQ Co. has a one year low of $35.56 and a one year high of $46.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.09 billion, a PE ratio of 14.92 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.71. The company has a fifty day moving average of $40.49 and a 200-day moving average of $39.60.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The auto parts company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.79. LKQ had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 14.93%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.82 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that LKQ Co. will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 15th. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.78%.

Insider Transactions at LKQ

In related news, CEO Justin L. Jude acquired 2,708 shares of LKQ stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $36.99 per share, for a total transaction of $100,168.92. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 280,777 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,385,941.23. This trade represents a 0.97% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Dominick P. Zarcone sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.02, for a total transaction of $190,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 316,135 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,019,452.70. This trade represents a 1.56% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LKQ has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of LKQ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of LKQ from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $52.60.

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.