Bank of America Begins Coverage on Lear (NYSE:LEA)

Stock analysts at Bank of America started coverage on shares of Lear (NYSE:LEA) in a report issued on Wednesday. The firm set a “neutral” rating on the auto parts company’s stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Lear from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Lear from $146.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lear from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Lear from $123.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Lear to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $138.27.

Lear Price Performance

Lear stock opened at $121.98 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.26. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $126.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.31. Lear has a 12-month low of $73.85 and a 12-month high of $142.84.

Lear (NYSE:LEA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The auto parts company reported $3.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.74. The company had revenue of $5.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.78 billion. Lear had a return on equity of 13.40% and a net margin of 1.88%.Lear’s revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.94 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Lear will post 12.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Lear

In other news, SVP Harry Albert Kemp sold 7,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.31, for a total value of $954,170.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 17,423 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,374,929.13. The trade was a 28.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.51, for a total transaction of $1,345,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 22,741 shares in the company, valued at $3,058,891.91. The trade was a 30.54% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 30,220 shares of company stock valued at $3,986,427 in the last 90 days. 0.91% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LEA. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in Lear in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. WealthCollab LLC acquired a new position in Lear during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Lear during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in Lear by 62.6% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 309 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its stake in Lear by 942.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 271 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. 97.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lear will participate in a fireside chat at the Bank of America 2026 Global Automotive Summit on March 17, giving management a platform to highlight Seating and E-Systems strategy, product pipeline and margin/cost initiatives — a potential catalyst if management provides constructive guidance or visibility. Lear to Participate in the Bank of America 2026 Global Automotive Summit
• Positive Sentiment: Recent fundamentals: Lear reported a solid FY quarter (reported Feb. 4) with EPS and revenue beating consensus, and analysts still model robust full-year EPS — evidence the business is performing and supporting longer-term value. Lear Price & Earnings Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America initiated coverage with a “neutral” rating on LEA; that stance can limit buying enthusiasm until the firm provides an upgrade or clearer catalysts from management appear — a likely contributor to today’s downward pressure. Lear is now covered by Bank of America Corporation

Lear Company Profile

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.