Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA) Shares Sold by Dana Investment Advisors Inc.

Dana Investment Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA) by 11.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,008 shares of the auto parts company’s stock after selling 1,775 shares during the quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Lear were worth $1,327,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Lear by 187.0% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 287 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC grew its position in Lear by 68.2% in the fourth quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 338 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in Lear in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Lear by 233.3% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 410 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 287 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Lear in the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.04% of the company’s stock.

Lear Trading Up 4.3 %

Shares of NYSE:LEA opened at $98.99 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $94.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $100.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.44. Lear Co. has a 12-month low of $86.28 and a 12-month high of $147.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The auto parts company reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.50 by $0.44. Lear had a net margin of 2.17% and a return on equity of 14.70%. On average, equities analysts expect that Lear Co. will post 12.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lear Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.11%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 6th. Lear’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.45%.

Insider Activity at Lear

In other Lear news, Director Rod Lache acquired 2,178 shares of Lear stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $91.80 per share, with a total value of $199,940.40. Following the purchase, the director now owns 2,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,940.40. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.79% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on LEA shares. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Lear from $104.00 to $102.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Lear from $135.00 to $125.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Lear from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Lear from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, TD Cowen cut shares of Lear from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $95.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Friday. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $123.36.

Lear Company Profile

Lear Corporation designs, develops, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and supplies automotive seating, and electrical distribution systems and related components for automotive original equipment manufacturers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Its Seating segment offers seat systems, seat subsystems, keyseat components, seat trim covers, seat mechanisms, seat foams, and headrests, as well as surface materials, such as leather and fabric for automobiles and light trucks, compact cars, pick-up trucks, and sport utility vehicles.