LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) Shares Sold by Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lessened its holdings in shares of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) by 49.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,202 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 12,887 shares during the quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership’s holdings in LPL Financial were worth $4,311,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Graney & King LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LPL Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in LPL Financial by 45.3% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 138 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in LPL Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Compass Financial Services Inc acquired a new stake in LPL Financial during the fourth quarter worth approximately $65,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of LPL Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $78,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.66% of the company’s stock.

LPL Financial Stock Performance

Shares of LPLA opened at $286.89 on Wednesday. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. has a 12-month low of $187.19 and a 12-month high of $384.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.64. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $344.11 and its 200-day moving average is $317.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 2.16.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.01 by $0.24. LPL Financial had a return on equity of 49.41% and a net margin of 8.55%. Equities research analysts anticipate that LPL Financial Holdings Inc. will post 19.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 11th. LPL Financial’s payout ratio is presently 8.55%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $379.00 to $413.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of LPL Financial from $415.00 to $400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of LPL Financial from $405.00 to $342.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on LPL Financial from $397.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on LPL Financial from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $369.83.

Insider Activity at LPL Financial

In other LPL Financial news, Director Marc Eliot Cohen sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.85, for a total transaction of $402,435.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 4,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,490,838.75. This represents a 21.26 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Matthew J. Audette sold 28,777 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.14, for a total value of $10,507,633.78. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,988,907.82. This represents a 67.81 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 34,465 shares of company stock valued at $12,562,070. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

LPL Financial Company 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.