Lear (NYSE:LEA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Argus

Lear (NYSE:LEA) was upgraded by research analysts at Argus to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Lear from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Lear from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Lear from $112.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lear in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lear currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $135.10.

Lear Price Performance

Shares of LEA stock opened at $139.22 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $119.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $109.02. The firm has a market cap of $7.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.30. Lear has a 1-year low of $73.85 and a 1-year high of $141.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.05.

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

Insider Activity at Lear

In other news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 5,000 shares of Lear stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.17, for a total transaction of $590,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 15,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,801,383.48. The trade was a 24.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lear

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its position in Lear by 183.7% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 610 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lear by 54.9% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,893 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 1,025 shares during the last quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP grew its holdings in Lear by 19.1% in the 4th quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 25,044 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $2,870,000 after buying an additional 4,025 shares during the last quarter. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Lear in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $22,539,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Lear in the 4th quarter worth approximately $699,000. 97.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.