Lear (NYSE:LEA) SVP Harry Albert Kemp Sells 7,000 Shares

Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total value of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 17,423 shares in the company, valued at $2,374,929.13. This represents a 28.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Lear Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LEA traded down $1.89 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $132.86. 373,459 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 567,484. The company’s 50 day moving average is $124.10 and its 200 day moving average is $111.64. Lear Corporation has a one year low of $73.85 and a one year high of $142.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 16.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.30.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.74. Lear had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 13.40%. The company had revenue of $5.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.94 earnings per share. Lear’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lear Corporation will post 12.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be paid a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. Lear’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.79%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Evercore upped their price target on shares of Lear from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Lear in a research note on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $170.00 price objective for the company. Argus upgraded Lear to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on Lear from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lear currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $138.27.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Lear by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,835,802 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $324,990,000 after purchasing an additional 51,692 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its stake in shares of Lear by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,830,466 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $212,938,000 after purchasing an additional 5,409 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lear by 23.6% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,569,341 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $157,891,000 after purchasing an additional 299,841 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp increased its holdings in Lear by 46,707.8% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 951,602 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $109,054,000 after buying an additional 949,569 shares during the period. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its stake in Lear by 7.8% in the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 791,293 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $90,682,000 after buying an additional 57,206 shares in the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lear Company Profile

Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) is a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems. The company designs, engineers and manufactures complete seat systems, seat components and power solutions for major vehicle manufacturers. Its electrical business delivers modules and components for battery management, infotainment, body and safety electronics, as well as advanced connectivity and electrification solutions.

The seating division develops lightweight, ergonomic seat structures, trim and mechanisms that address comfort, safety and environmental targets.