RWC Asset Management LLP Buys 19,705 Shares of Lear Corporation $LEA

RWC Asset Management LLP grew its stake in Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 589,753 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,705 shares during the quarter. Lear makes up 3.3% of RWC Asset Management LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. RWC Asset Management LLP owned about 1.14% of Lear worth $67,586,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lear in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 245 shares in the last quarter. WealthCollab LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lear in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lear in the third quarter worth about $33,000. 97.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Lear

In other Lear news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 5,000 shares of Lear stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.50, for a total transaction of $737,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,241 shares in the company, valued at $1,953,047.50. This trade represents a 27.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Nicholas Jon Roelli sold 2,336 shares of Lear stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.38, for a total transaction of $330,263.68. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 2,339 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $330,687.82. This represents a 49.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 11,880 shares of company stock worth $1,708,003 over the last ninety days. 1.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on LEA shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Lear from $126.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Lear from $177.00 to $179.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Lear from $115.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Argus raised shares of Lear to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lear in a research note on Monday, May 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $143.08.

Lear News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lear’s most recent earnings report beat EPS expectations and showed year-over-year revenue growth, reinforcing the view that fundamentals are improving and helping support the stock near its highs.
• Positive Sentiment: The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.77 per share, signaling ongoing cash generation and shareholder returns, which can support investor confidence.
• Neutral Sentiment: Lear announced it will participate in a Wolfe Research Autos and Mobility Conference on June 18. This is an investor-relations event and may draw attention to the stock, but it does not change fundamentals by itself. Article Title: Lear to Participate in Wolfe Research Autos and Mobility Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling by CFO Jason Cardew was disclosed, but the sale was relatively small versus his remaining holdings, so it is more of a cautionary signal than a major red flag.
• Negative Sentiment: The CFO’s share sale could create some short-term caution after the stock’s strong run, as some investors may wonder whether insider confidence is limited at current levels.

Lear Price Performance

Shares of LEA stock opened at $141.29 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $130.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.87. Lear Corporation has a 12 month low of $88.04 and a 12 month high of $150.33. The company has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a PE ratio of 14.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.23.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The auto parts company reported $3.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.51 by $0.36. Lear had a net margin of 2.25% and a return on equity of 13.69%. The company had revenue of $5.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.12 earnings per share. Lear’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Lear Corporation will post 14.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 3rd. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Lear’s payout ratio is 30.80%.

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.