Insider Selling: Lear (NYSE:LEA) VP Sells 1,590 Shares of Stock

Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) VP Marianne Vidershain sold 1,590 shares of Lear stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $214,650.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 1,862 shares in the company, valued at $251,370. This represents a 46.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Lear Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of LEA stock traded down $0.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $133.36. 146,391 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 540,393. The company has a market capitalization of $6.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.30. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $125.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.35. Lear Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $73.85 and a fifty-two week high of $142.84.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last announced 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. Lear had a return on equity of 13.40% and a net margin of 1.88%.The firm had revenue of $5.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.94 earnings per share. Lear’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Lear Corporation will post 12.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Lear’s dividend payout ratio is 37.79%.

Key Stories Impacting Lear

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed a clear beat: Lear reported $3.41 EPS and revenue of $5.99B for the quarter, topping estimates and signaling solid margin recovery and revenue growth — a supportive fundamental underlayer for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest declined materially in February (down ~17.1% to ~1.68M shares as of Feb. 13), lowering potential short-covering risk; days-to-cover sits near 2.2, and about 3.3% of shares are sold short.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent bullish analyst/media coverage highlights Lear as a top growth name, which can sustain investor interest and longer-term demand. Why Lear (LEA) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading volume today was below the stock’s average, which can amplify price moves on relatively small order flows — watch volume to validate any directional move.
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale was reported (Alicia Davis sold 6,630 shares), which can be perceived as a near-term negative signal by some investors. Alicia Davis Sells 6,630 Shares of Lear (NYSE:LEA) Stock

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Lear from $112.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore upped their price target on shares of Lear from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $121.00 price objective on shares of Lear in a report on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Lear from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Barclays set a $140.00 target price on Lear in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lear currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $138.27.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lear

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Lear by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 676 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lear by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 2,147 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $246,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lear by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,389 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $274,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of Lear by 32.0% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 408 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lear by 34.0% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 422 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.