Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL) Short Interest Down 13.7% in March

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 639,320 shares, a decline of 13.7% from the February 26th total of 740,967 shares. Currently, 1.4% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 454,744 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Jones Lang LaSalle Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE JLL traded up $4.36 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $301.36. 42,855 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 538,958. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.38 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a current ratio of 2.23. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $316.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $317.72. Jones Lang LaSalle has a twelve month low of $194.36 and a twelve month high of $363.06.

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The financial services provider reported $8.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.25 by $1.46. The firm had revenue of $7.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.45 billion. Jones Lang LaSalle had a return on equity of 12.50% and a net margin of 3.03%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.15 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Jones Lang LaSalle will post 16.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on JLL shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Jones Lang LaSalle from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on Jones Lang LaSalle from $405.00 to $380.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Jones Lang LaSalle from $410.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Jones Lang LaSalle from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $363.17.

Insider Activity at Jones Lang LaSalle

In related news, Director Deborah H. Mcaneny sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $300.50, for a total transaction of $751,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 14,985 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,502,992.50. The trade was a 14.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Richard Bloxam sold 5,440 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $296.94, for a total value of $1,615,353.60. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Jones Lang LaSalle

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Equity Investment Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $72,132,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,417,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Jones Lang LaSalle in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,143,000. FJ Capital Management LLC raised its position in Jones Lang LaSalle by 38.5% in the second quarter. FJ Capital Management LLC now owns 22,352 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,717,000 after purchasing an additional 6,214 shares during the period. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in Jones Lang LaSalle by 388.0% in the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 8,653 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,581,000 after purchasing an additional 6,880 shares during the period. 94.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management. The company provides a broad range of services including leasing, advisory, property and asset management, capital markets, project and development services, and valuation. Through its integrated platform, JLL serves corporate occupiers, institutional investors, real estate owners and developers, offering tailored solutions that span the entire real estate lifecycle.

Founded in 1783 in London as Jones Lang Wootton, the firm established a reputation for expertise in property management and brokerage.