Morgan Stanley Issues Positive Forecast for LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) Stock Price

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) had its price target upped by Morgan Stanley from $374.00 to $387.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an overweight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $500.00 price target on shares of LPL Financial in a research note on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group cut their price objective on LPL Financial from $395.00 to $391.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $396.00 to $390.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $464.00 to $383.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $412.00 to $394.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, LPL Financial has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $396.54.

LPL Financial Stock Performance

Shares of LPL Financial stock traded up $5.56 on Friday, reaching $317.03. 667,958 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 964,974. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.36 billion, a PE ratio of 28.31, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 0.50. LPL Financial has a 1-year low of $260.15 and a 1-year high of $403.58. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $292.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $319.96. The company has a current ratio of 2.56, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The financial services provider reported $5.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.49 by $0.11. LPL Financial had a net margin of 4.93% and a return on equity of 31.26%. The firm had revenue of $4.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.98 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $5.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 34.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that LPL Financial will post 23.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. LPL Financial’s payout ratio is currently 10.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other LPL Financial news, CFO Matthew J. Audette sold 1,110 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $330.01, for a total value of $366,311.10. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 19,803 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,535,188.03. This represents a 5.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Aneri Jambusaria sold 308 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $306.00, for a total transaction of $94,248.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 6,415 shares in the company, valued at $1,962,990. This represents a 4.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,887 shares of company stock worth $613,144. 0.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of LPL Financial

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of LPL Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in LPL Financial by 3,650.0% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 75 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. increased its position in LPL Financial by 550.0% during the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 78 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Core Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LPL Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of LPL Financial by 580.0% during the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 136 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. 95.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More LPL Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting LPL Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target on LPL Financial to $387 and reiterated an overweight view, signaling continued confidence in the company’s valuation and growth outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays set a new $394 price target on LPL Financial, reinforcing a bullish analyst consensus around the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: LPL Financial and its acquired Commonwealth unit earned the top two rankings in the 2026 JD Power independent advisor satisfaction study, which may support the company’s reputation with advisors and help attract assets and new relationships. LPL Financial Announces Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Release Date and Conference Call
• Positive Sentiment: Haskin Private Wealth Advisors joined LPL’s independent advisor network, a sign of ongoing recruiting and platform growth. Haskin Private Wealth Advisors Joins LPL’s Independent Advisor Network
• Neutral Sentiment: LPL announced it will report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 30, which keeps investors focused on upcoming results rather than providing new operating data yet.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed 0 shares reported, so it does not currently suggest meaningful bearish positioning.

LPL Financial Company Profile

LPL Financial (NASDAQ: LPLA) is a U.S.-focused financial services firm that provides brokerage, custodial and advisory platforms to independent financial advisors, registered investment advisers and institutions. Operating primarily as an independent broker-dealer and custodian, the company supports a network of advisors with the operational, compliance and clearing infrastructure needed to manage client accounts and deliver investment advice outside of traditional wirehouse models.

The firm’s product and service offerings include trade execution and clearing, custody services, retirement plan services, model portfolio and advisory platforms, wealth management technology, investment research and product access across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and insurance and annuity solutions.