AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc Reduces Stake in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA)

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc decreased its holdings in shares of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,041 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 2,301 shares during the quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc’s holdings in LPL Financial were worth $19,603,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LPL Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Paladin Wealth LLC acquired a new position in LPL Financial in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new position in shares of LPL Financial during the third quarter worth about $43,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of LPL Financial by 32.3% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 385 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in shares of LPL Financial by 45.3% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 327 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. 95.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Aneri Jambusaria sold 305 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.94, for a total value of $101,241.70. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,920 shares in the company, valued at $1,301,204.80. The trade was a 7.22 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on LPLA. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on LPL Financial from $310.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $271.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of LPL Financial from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $288.00 to $397.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $310.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on LPL Financial from $325.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, LPL Financial currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $351.50.

LPL Financial Price Performance

LPL Financial stock opened at $360.29 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 2.16. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a one year low of $187.19 and a one year high of $361.63. The company has a market cap of $26.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.87. The business has a fifty day moving average of $331.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $270.61.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.69 by $0.47. LPL Financial had a net margin of 8.73% and a return on equity of 49.47%. The company had revenue of $3.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.74 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. will post 16.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Profile

LPL Financial Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services to independent financial advisors and financial advisors at enterprises in the United States. Its brokerage offerings include variable and fixed annuities, mutual funds, equities, fixed income, alternative investments, retirement and 529 education savings plans, and insurance.