Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the sixteen ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $145.2308.

LEA has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Lear from $153.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings raised Lear from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Lear from $137.00 to $138.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Lear from $177.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Lear in a research report on Saturday, August 1st.

Lear Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of Lear stock opened at $123.44 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $132.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $131.20. Lear has a 12-month low of $96.04 and a 12-month high of $150.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The stock has a market cap of $6.09 billion, a PE ratio of 11.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.25.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The auto parts company reported $4.28 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.98 by $0.30. The business had revenue of $6.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.15 billion. Lear had a return on equity of 14.18% and a net margin of 2.35%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.06 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lear will post 14.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 2nd. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Lear’s payout ratio is presently 28.70%.

Lear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lear’s previously reported results remain supportive: the company exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, with revenue up year over year. However, those results predate the current news window and do not explain today’s trading.
• Neutral Sentiment: The recent headlines concern unrelated companies and topics, including KinderCare, JOYY, Revolut, artificial-intelligence education, and commentary from Kevin O’Leary. None appears relevant to Lear’s automotive-seating and electrical-systems businesses.
• Negative Sentiment: With no fresh Lear-specific catalyst identified, the decrease in LEA may reflect broader automotive-sector sentiment, routine technical trading, or investor positioning. The stock is also trading below its reported 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which can weigh on near-term sentiment.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lear

In related news, CEO Raymond E. Scott sold 50,000 shares of Lear stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.37, for a total transaction of $6,768,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 49,789 shares in the company, valued at $6,739,936.93. The trade was a 50.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Conrad L. Mallett, Jr. sold 1,646 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.35, for a total value of $199,742.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 37 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,489.95. The trade was a 97.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 61,336 shares of company stock valued at $8,367,727 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lear

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LEA. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in shares of Lear in the second quarter worth $4,029,000. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Lear by 12,951.3% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 7,843,046 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $1,051,439,000 after acquiring an additional 7,782,952 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lear by 47.1% during the second quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,560 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $343,000 after acquiring an additional 820 shares during the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lear by 13.0% during the second quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 2,467 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $331,000 after acquiring an additional 284 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nykredit A S purchased a new stake in Lear during the 2nd quarter worth about $208,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.04% of the company’s stock.

About Lear

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.