Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 10,100,000 shares, a decline of 13.7% from the February 13th total of 11,700,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,630,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days. Approximately 4.5% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Aptiv from $76.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of Aptiv from $83.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Aptiv in a report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on Aptiv from $82.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Aptiv from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $75.00 to $82.00 in a report on Monday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $86.50.

Insider Activity at Aptiv

In related news, SVP Benjamin Lyon sold 14,568 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.50, for a total transaction of $954,204.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 125,237 shares in the company, valued at $8,203,023.50. This represents a 10.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in shares of Aptiv by 1,410.3% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 438 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 409 shares during the period. Picton Mahoney Asset Management acquired a new stake in Aptiv in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Aptiv in the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its stake in shares of Aptiv by 356.3% during the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 867 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 677 shares during the period. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Aptiv during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.21% of the company’s stock.

Aptiv Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of APTV opened at $62.75 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.12, a PEG ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 1.78. Aptiv has a 52 week low of $51.47 and a 52 week high of $85.56. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $63.72 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87.

Aptiv (NYSE:APTV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The auto parts company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.12. Aptiv had a net margin of 9.07% and a return on equity of 15.63%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Aptiv will post 7.2 EPS for the current year.

About Aptiv

Aptiv PLC engages in design, manufacture, and sale of vehicle components in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, South America, and internationally. The company provides electrical, electronic, and safety technology solutions to the automotive and commercial vehicle markets. It operates through two segments, Signal and Power Solutions, and Advanced Safety and User Experience.