Empowered Funds LLC Sells 2,170 Shares of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA)

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its position in LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) by 15.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 2,170 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in LPL Financial were worth $3,956,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LPL Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in LPL Financial in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in shares of LPL Financial during the fourth quarter worth $78,000. 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, Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of LPL Financial in the 4th quarter valued at $108,000. 95.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

LPL Financial Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LPLA opened at $367.32 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $342.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $282.10. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a 12 month low of $187.19 and a 12 month high of $375.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 2.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.87.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.01 by $0.24. LPL Financial had a net margin of 8.55% and a return on equity of 49.41%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. will post 19.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.33%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 11th. LPL Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LPL Financial

In related news, CFO Matthew J. Audette sold 28,777 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.14, for a total transaction of $10,507,633.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 13,663 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,988,907.82. This represents a 67.81 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Aneri Jambusaria sold 305 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $331.94, for a total transaction of $101,241.70. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,301,204.80. This trade represents a 7.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LPLA has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on LPL Financial from $271.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Barclays upped their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $389.00 to $414.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $435.00 price target on shares of LPL Financial in a report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com raised shares of LPL Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $397.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $379.17.

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.