LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) Short Interest Update

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 10,485,899 shares, a decrease of 22.7% from the February 12th total of 13,565,146 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,351,273 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Approximately 4.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Approximately 4.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,351,273 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days.

LKQ Trading Down 1.4%

LKQ traded down $0.41 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $29.34. 2,823,442 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,231,598. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.43 and a beta of 0.89. LKQ has a one year low of $28.13 and a one year high of $43.47. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $32.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 1.67.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The auto parts company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by ($0.06). LKQ had a net margin of 4.36% and a return on equity of 12.29%. The company had revenue of $3.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.24 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.80 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. LKQ has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.900-3.200 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that LKQ will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LKQ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. LKQ’s payout ratio is currently 50.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LKQ has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research cut LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Barclays set a $34.00 price target on LKQ in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered LKQ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of LKQ from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of LKQ in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LKQ

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LKQ. Rossby Financial LCC lifted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 159.4% during the 3rd quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 882 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares in the last quarter. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in LKQ during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in LKQ during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its stake in LKQ by 254.7% in the fourth quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,362 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 978 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in shares of LKQ by 830.7% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 1,424 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 1,271 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.63% of the company’s stock.

LKQ Company Profile

LKQ Corporation is a leading provider of alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize automobiles and other vehicles. The company supplies a broad range of replacement components, including recycled original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, aftermarket parts, refurbished and remanufactured items. Its products support collision repair, mechanical repair and performance enhancement needs across passenger cars, heavy trucks and recreational vehicles.

Through a combination of in-house operations and strategic acquisitions, LKQ has developed a comprehensive product portfolio that extends beyond core replacement parts.