Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $129.54 and last traded at $128.1530, with a volume of 130547 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $126.95.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on ALV shares. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Autoliv from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. UBS Group reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Autoliv in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Autoliv in a report on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Autoliv from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Finally, Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Autoliv in a report on Monday, October 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.00.

Autoliv Stock Up 0.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.70. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $120.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.32.

Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 17th. The auto parts company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $2.71 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.66 billion. Autoliv had a return on equity of 31.22% and a net margin of 7.09%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.84 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Autoliv, Inc. will post 9.51 EPS for the current year.

Autoliv Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from Autoliv’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.85. Autoliv’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.95%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Autoliv

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Autoliv by 110.3% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 204 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Autoliv in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Autoliv by 1,892.3% in the 2nd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 259 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Autoliv during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Autoliv during the third quarter worth $37,000. 69.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Autoliv

Autoliv Inc (NYSE: ALV) is a leading global supplier of automotive safety systems, specializing in the design, development and manufacture of passive and active safety products. Its core product portfolio includes airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels, restraint control modules and pedestrian protection systems. In recent years, the company has also expanded into active safety technologies, offering radar, camera and sensor solutions that support advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving applications.

Founded in 1997 following the spin-off of Electrolux’s automotive safety business, Autoliv has evolved into a multinational organization with a presence in over 27 countries.