Key Points
- Insider selling: SVP Alicia Davis sold 6,630 shares at an average price of $132.98 (≈$881,657), reducing her stake by about 39.9% to 9,972 shares, a transaction disclosed in an SEC filing.
- Other senior insiders — CFO Jason Cardew (10,000 shares, ≈$1.35M) and SVP Harry Kemp (7,000 shares, ≈$954k) — also sold recently, and the clustered insider sales raise short-term sentiment risk.
- Lear reported a strong Q4 with an EPS beat ($3.41 vs. $2.67 est.) and revenue above expectations, and announced a $0.77 quarterly dividend (annualized $3.08, ~2.3% yield).
Lear Corporation (NYSE:LEA - Get Free Report) SVP Alicia Davis sold 6,630 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.98, for a total value of $881,657.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 9,972 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,326,076.56. This represents a 39.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
Lear Trading Down 1.4%
Lear stock opened at $132.86 on Tuesday. Lear Corporation has a one year low of $73.85 and a one year high of $142.84. The business's fifty day moving average is $124.43 and its 200 day moving average is $111.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.74 billion, a PE ratio of 16.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.05.
Lear (NYSE:LEA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.74. The business had revenue of $5.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.78 billion. Lear had a net margin of 1.88% and a return on equity of 13.40%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.94 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Lear Corporation will post 12.89 EPS for the current year.
Lear Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 5th will be issued a $0.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Lear's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.79%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in Lear by 46,707.8% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 951,602 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $109,054,000 after purchasing an additional 949,569 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in Lear by 75.6% in the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 1,801,284 shares of the auto parts company's stock valued at $171,086,000 after buying an additional 775,476 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lear during the fourth quarter worth $82,016,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lear by 78.6% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,269,500 shares of the auto parts company's stock worth $120,577,000 after buying an additional 558,538 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Lear in the 2nd quarter valued at $39,656,000. 97.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Lear News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights LEA as a strong momentum stock, which may attract momentum-driven buyers and support price resilience. Here's Why Lear (LEA) is a Strong Momentum Stock
- Positive Sentiment: Recent Q4 results (reported Feb. 4) showed an EPS beat ($3.41 vs. $2.67 est.) and revenue outperformance, reinforcing the company’s underlying fundamentals and analyst earnings forecasts. Lear Q4 earnings / MarketBeat
- Neutral Sentiment: No material new strategic announcements or guidance changes in the recent feed — most other articles in the list (industry/market pieces) are not specific to Lear and are unlikely to move the stock directly.
- Negative Sentiment: SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares at an average $136.31 (≈$954k); his holding fell ~28.7% — this level of insider selling can signal caution to investors. Kemp SEC filing
- Negative Sentiment: CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares at an average $134.51 (≈$1.345M); his stake dropped ~30.5% — CFO sales often draw extra scrutiny from investors. Cardew SEC filing
- Negative Sentiment: SVP Alicia J. Davis sold 6,630 shares at an average $132.98 (≈$882k); her holding fell ~39.9% — multiple senior execs selling in close timing raises short-term sentiment risk. Davis SEC filing
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on LEA shares. Argus raised Lear to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Lear from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup upped their price target on Lear from $146.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Evercore lifted their price objective on Lear from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Lear in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $138.27.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Lear
About Lear
(
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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.
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