Moon Capital Management LP Invests $1.82 Million in Lear Corporation $LEA

Moon Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 18,045 shares of the auto parts company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,816,000. Lear accounts for approximately 1.3% of Moon Capital Management LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LEA. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Lear by 34.0% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 422 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lear by 1.1% during the third quarter. Waterfront Wealth Inc. now owns 16,834 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $1,685,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. AMG National Trust Bank raised its holdings in shares of Lear by 1.2% during the third quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 16,446 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $1,655,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in Lear by 1.2% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,820 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $1,592,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its holdings in Lear by 0.8% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 24,918 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $2,367,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.04% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on LEA shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Lear from $112.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Argus raised Lear to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Lear from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Lear from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lear currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $138.27.

Lear Stock Performance

LEA opened at $132.86 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $6.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a PEG ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.30. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $124.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Lear Corporation has a 52-week low of $73.85 and a 52-week high of $142.84.

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

Lear Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.77 dividend. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. Lear’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.79%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 22,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,058,891.91. This represents a 30.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total value of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 17,423 shares in the company, valued at $2,374,929.13. The trade was a 28.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 28,630 shares of company stock worth $3,771,777. 0.91% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Lear

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Lear reported $3.41 EPS vs. $2.67 est. and revenue above consensus, reinforcing the company’s underlying fundamentals and supporting earnings momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend & payout profile — Lear announced a $0.77 quarterly dividend (annualized $3.08, ~2.3% yield) with ex-dividend on March 5; steady payout and a sub-40% DPR can support investor demand. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Multiple firms have raised price targets or reiterated positive views (Citigroup, Argus, TD Cowen among others), leaving consensus near a modest premium to current levels and providing analyst-driven support. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum recognition — Zacks highlighted LEA as a strong momentum stock, which can attract momentum-focused flows. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Large institutional positions — Recent filings show material increases by institutions (M&T, Schroders, Norges Bank, others). High institutional ownership can stabilize volume but also concentrate risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling — CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares on Feb. 19 at ~$134.51 (≈$1.345M), reducing his stake by ~30.5%; CFO sales typically attract scrutiny. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: SVP sales — Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares at ~$136.31 on Feb. 19 (≈$954k), cutting his holding by ~28.7%. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: More insider selling — SVP Alicia J. Davis sold 6,630 shares at ~$132.98 on Feb. 19 (≈$882k), a ~39.9% reduction; multiple senior-exec sales in close timing raise short-term sentiment risk. Read More.

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.