Lear (NYSE:LEA) Price Target Lowered to $132.00 at TD Cowen

Lear (NYSE:LEA) had its price target reduced by TD Cowen from $133.00 to $132.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the auto parts company’s stock.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on LEA. Benchmark began coverage on Lear in a report on Thursday, February 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $170.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Bank of America began coverage on Lear in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Argus upgraded Lear to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Lear from $112.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $136.17.

Lear Price Performance

NYSE:LEA opened at $118.71 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company has a market capitalization of $6.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.24. Lear has a 52 week low of $76.60 and a 52 week high of $142.84. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $125.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $115.89.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.74. The firm had revenue of $5.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.78 billion. Lear had a return on equity of 13.40% and a net margin of 1.88%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.94 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Lear will post 12.89 EPS for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th were paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 5th. Lear’s payout ratio is presently 37.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total transaction of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,374,929.13. The trade was a 28.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.51, for a total value of $1,345,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 22,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,058,891.91. The trade was a 30.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,264 shares of company stock valued at $3,400,687. Company insiders own 1.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LEA. M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in shares of Lear by 46,707.8% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 951,602 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $109,054,000 after acquiring an additional 949,569 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lear during the 4th quarter worth about $82,016,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Lear during the 2nd quarter worth about $39,656,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec acquired a new position in shares of Lear during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,984,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lear by 23.6% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,569,341 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $157,891,000 after acquiring an additional 299,841 shares in the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Lear

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lear’s most recent quarterly results showed an earnings and revenue beat and analysts still expect strong full?year profitability (consensus ~12.89 EPS for the fiscal year). That underlying operating beat supports valuation and longer?term upside.
• Neutral Sentiment: Discussion pieces comparing supplier performance note that Lear has been competitive in the auto supplier group this year, providing context on relative strength vs. peers but not a clear directional catalyst. Is Lear (LEA) Stock Outpacing Its Auto-Tires-Trucks Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen trimmed its price target on LEA from $133 to $132 and kept a “hold” rating — a signal that the firm sees limited near?term upside and contributes to selling pressure. TD Cowen lowers Lear price target
• Negative Sentiment: UBS cut its price target from $145 to $135 and maintained a “neutral” rating, another analyst action that likely reduced conviction among holders and traders. UBS lowers Lear price target
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and media comparisons that favor peers — particularly Magna (MGA) — on diversification, margin expansion and EV/ADAS exposure have highlighted relative risks for Lear’s growth profile, pressuring sentiment. Magna vs Lear: Which Auto Supplier Is The Smarter Bet Now?

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.