LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) Short Interest Down 22.7% in February

LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 10,485,899 shares, a decrease of 22.7% from the February 12th total of 13,565,146 shares. Currently, 4.1% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 2,351,273 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Based on an average trading volume of 2,351,273 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Currently, 4.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded LKQ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of LKQ in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of LKQ in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $39.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of LKQ from $40.00 to $37.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of LKQ from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.50.

Institutional Trading of LKQ

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LKQ. Rossby Financial LCC boosted its stake in LKQ by 159.4% in the 3rd quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 882 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 542 shares during the last quarter. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of LKQ during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of LKQ during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its position in shares of LKQ by 254.7% in the fourth quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,362 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in shares of LKQ by 830.7% in the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 1,424 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,271 shares during the last quarter. 95.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

LKQ Price Performance

NASDAQ LKQ traded down $0.62 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $28.72. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,520,011 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,231,598. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 1.67. The company’s 50-day moving average is $32.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $31.33. LKQ has a fifty-two week low of $28.13 and a fifty-two week high of $43.47. The stock has a market cap of $7.33 billion, a PE ratio of 12.17 and a beta of 0.89.

LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The auto parts company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $3.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.24 billion. LKQ had a return on equity of 12.29% and a net margin of 4.36%.The business’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.80 EPS. LKQ has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.900-3.200 EPS. Analysts forecast that LKQ will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

LKQ Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. LKQ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.85%.

About LKQ

LKQ Corporation is a leading provider of alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize automobiles and other vehicles. The company supplies a broad range of replacement components, including recycled original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, aftermarket parts, refurbished and remanufactured items. Its products support collision repair, mechanical repair and performance enhancement needs across passenger cars, heavy trucks and recreational vehicles.

Through a combination of in-house operations and strategic acquisitions, LKQ has developed a comprehensive product portfolio that extends beyond core replacement parts.