Ascent Wealth Partners LLC Sells 891 Shares of LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ)

Ascent Wealth Partners LLC reduced its position in LKQ Co. (NASDAQ:LKQ) by 14.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,249 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 891 shares during the quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in LKQ were worth $218,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LKQ. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its position in shares of LKQ by 40.8% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 777 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new position in LKQ in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in LKQ by 54.2% in the 1st quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 825 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its holdings in LKQ by 65.1% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 900 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 355 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LKQ during the 1st quarter worth $56,000. 95.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at LKQ

In related news, Director Andrew C. Clarke acquired 7,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.70 per share, for a total transaction of $301,720.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 10,519 shares in the company, valued at approximately $417,604.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, SVP Matthew J. Mckay purchased 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The shares were bought at an average price of $39.75 per share, for a total transaction of $99,375.00. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president now owns 94,670 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,763,132.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Andrew C. Clarke purchased 7,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.70 per share, for a total transaction of $301,720.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,519 shares in the company, valued at approximately $417,604.30. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired 12,600 shares of company stock valued at $500,870 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on LKQ shares. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of LKQ in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of LKQ from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of LKQ in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $60.80.

LKQ Stock Performance

LKQ remained flat at $41.59 during midday trading on Friday. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,244,300 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,416,775. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.50 and a beta of 1.29. The company’s 50-day moving average is $41.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.75. LKQ Co. has a 1-year low of $35.57 and a 1-year high of $54.07.

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

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.89%. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.96%.

LKQ 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.