Lazard Asset Management LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Landstar System, Inc. $LSTR

Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSTR) by 12.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 43,943 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 6,371 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Landstar System were worth $7,045,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Landstar System in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Landstar System by 320.0% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 189 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Landstar System during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Landstar System by 132.7% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA boosted its holdings in shares of Landstar System by 81.0% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 277 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.95% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on LSTR shares. Stephens upgraded shares of Landstar System to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Landstar System from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 4th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Landstar System from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $145.00 price target on shares of Landstar System in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Landstar System from $186.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $194.62.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Diana M. Murphy sold 11,246 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.28, for a total transaction of $2,488,514.88. Following the sale, the director directly owned 18,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,171,791.84. This represents a 37.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO James P. Todd sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.17, for a total transaction of $261,804.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 15,122 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,299,166.74. This trade represents a 7.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

Landstar System Stock Down 4.8%

LSTR stock opened at $169.34 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $207.83 and a 200-day moving average of $178.10. Landstar System, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $119.32 and a fifty-two week high of $228.46. The company has a market capitalization of $5.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.87 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 1.82.

Landstar System (NASDAQ:LSTR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The transportation company reported $1.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.49 by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.34 billion. Landstar System had a net margin of 2.64% and a return on equity of 20.84%. The company’s revenue was up 18.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.20 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Landstar System, Inc. will post 5.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Landstar System Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 18th will be given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. This is an increase from Landstar System’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 18th. Landstar System’s payout ratio is presently 44.20%.

Landstar System declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, April 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase 1,115,195,000,000 shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the transportation company to repurchase up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Landstar System News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Landstar System this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Landstar to a Rank #2 (Buy), citing growing optimism about the company’s earnings outlook. Landstar upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Landstar’s second-quarter results showed strong year-over-year improvement: revenue increased 18.2% to approximately $1.43 billion, supported by stronger truck rates, load growth and higher business capacity-owner utilization. The earnings call also highlighted pricing power. Landstar Q2 earnings Landstar Q2 call
• Positive Sentiment: Landstar raised its quarterly dividend 10% to $0.44 per share, payable September 9 to shareholders of record August 18. The increase signals continued confidence in cash generation, though the dividend yield is approximately 1%. Landstar dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $204 from $198 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The target implies meaningful upside from recent levels, but the unchanged rating suggests limited conviction in near-term outperformance. JPMorgan Landstar price target
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly adjusted EPS of $1.44 was below the $1.49 consensus estimate despite the revenue beat, which may be weighing on the shares. Robert W. Baird also reduced its price target to $215 from $225, although it retained an Outperform rating. Baird Landstar price target

About Landstar System

Landstar System, Inc provides integrated transportation management solutions through a network of independent agents and third-party capacity providers. The company specializes in truckload brokerage, intermodal, air and ocean freight, expedited and heavy-haul services, along with value-added offerings such as cargo insurance, customs brokerage and supply chain management. Landstar’s proprietary technology platform enables real-time load matching, shipment tracking and data analytics to optimize fleet utilization and improve customer service.

Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Landstar pioneered an asset-light brokerage model that has evolved into a global logistics operation.