Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) Upgraded to Strong-Buy by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning.

Several other research firms have also commented on ALV. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Autoliv from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 29th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Autoliv from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, April 29th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Autoliv from $115.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 25th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of Autoliv from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Autoliv from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $125.90.

Autoliv Stock Performance

ALV opened at $121.38 on Friday. Autoliv has a twelve month low of $79.66 and a twelve month high of $125.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.88 billion, a PE ratio of 18.93, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $118.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $108.81.

Autoliv Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 12th were issued a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.24%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 11th. Autoliv’s payout ratio is currently 42.43%.

Insider Activity at Autoliv

In other Autoliv news, EVP Anthony J. Nellis sold 760 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $83,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,859 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $534,490. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Anthony J. Nellis sold 760 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $83,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,859 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $534,490. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Mikael Hagstrom sold 327 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.69, for a total transaction of $35,868.63. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 327 shares in the company, valued at $35,868.63. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 7,606 shares of company stock valued at $835,205 in the last three months. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Autoliv

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Autoliv in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC raised its position in Autoliv by 84.1% in the fourth quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Register Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Autoliv in the first quarter valued at $36,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Autoliv by 83.8% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 489 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Finally, TFO Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Autoliv by 15,425.0% during the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 621 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 617 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.57% of the company’s stock.

About Autoliv

Autoliv, Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and supplies passive safety systems to the automotive industry in Europe, the Americas, China, Japan, and rest of Asia. It offers passive safety systems, including modules and components for frontal-impact airbag protection systems, side-impact airbag protection systems, seatbelts, steering wheels, and inflator technologies.