LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) Shares Down 6.5% – Time to Sell?

Shares of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) fell 6.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $330.69 and last traded at $335.70. 781,950 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 9% from the average session volume of 717,654 shares. The stock had previously closed at $358.86.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded LPL Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of LPL Financial from $390.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of LPL Financial from $389.00 to $414.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on LPL Financial from $379.00 to $413.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on LPL Financial from $390.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $379.17.

LPL Financial Trading Down 6.2 %

The company has a quick ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $353.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $297.74. The company has a market capitalization of $25.09 billion, a PE ratio of 23.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.87.

LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $4.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 19.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LPL Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 11th. LPL Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.55%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LPL Financial

In related news, Director Marc Eliot Cohen sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the director now 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Aneri Jambusaria sold 305 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.94, for a total transaction of $101,241.70. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,920 shares in the company, 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 have sold 34,770 shares of company stock worth $12,663,312 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Graney & King LLC purchased a new position in LPL Financial during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of LPL Financial during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in LPL Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LPL Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in LPL Financial by 45.3% during the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 138 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. 95.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About LPL Financial

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.