Lear (NYSE:LEA) Upgraded at Argus

Argus upgraded shares of Lear (NYSE:LEA) to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on LEA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Lear from $133.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Lear from $146.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore upped their target price on Lear from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Lear from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Barclays set a $140.00 price objective on Lear in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lear has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $135.10.

Lear Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE LEA opened at $138.83 on Monday. Lear has a 52-week low of $73.85 and a 52-week high of $142.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.03, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.30. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $120.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $109.50. 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 (NYSE:LEA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.74. Lear had a return on equity of 13.40% and a net margin of 1.88%.The business had revenue of $5.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.78 billion. Lear’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.94 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Lear will post 12.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 10th were given a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 10th. Lear’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lear news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.17, for a total value of $590,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 15,244 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,801,383.48. This trade represents a 24.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.91% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lear

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Lear by 1,384.2% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 282 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the period. WealthCollab LLC acquired a new stake in Lear during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lear during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings in shares of Lear by 62.6% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 309 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lear by 942.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 271 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 245 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.04% of the company’s stock.

Lear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded Lear to a “strong‑buy,” which often drives short‑term inflows and analyst-following portfolios to add shares. This is the primary news moving LEA today. Argus upgrades Lear to Strong-Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: AI / machine‑learning sector coverage may indirectly affect automotive suppliers that provide advanced electronics and software — a longer‑term tailwind if Lear expands its electrical/electronic systems content. This is thematic and not an immediate company‑specific catalyst. 11 Best Machine Learning Stocks to Buy According to Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent articles in the feed (personal finance pieces by Kevin O’Leary, InvestorPlace options education, Learning Tree/Abilways contract news, Tobii design win, and a proposed Youth Financial Learning Act) are not company‑specific to Lear and are unlikely to move LEA stock directly in the near term.

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.