Autoliv (NYSE:ALV) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:ALV)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $82.24, but opened at $86.11. Autoliv shares last traded at $88.54, with a volume of 555,900 shares trading hands.

The auto parts company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70 by $0.45. Autoliv had a net margin of 6.21% and a return on equity of 28.62%.

Autoliv Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 7th were paid a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 7th. Autoliv’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on ALV shares. Hsbc Global Res downgraded Autoliv from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Pareto Securities downgraded shares of Autoliv to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Cowen began coverage on shares of Autoliv in a report on Thursday, March 6th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Daiwa America raised Autoliv from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays upgraded Autoliv from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $110.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $113.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mikael Bratt sold 5,760 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.90, for a total value of $569,664.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 23,307 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,305,062.30. This represents a 19.82 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Fredrik Westin sold 1,803 shares of Autoliv stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.19, for a total value of $178,839.57. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 7,261 shares in the company, valued at $720,218.59. This represents a 19.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 9,253 shares of company stock valued at $915,534 over the last quarter. 0.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Autoliv

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALV. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Autoliv by 139.5% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 273 shares of the auto parts company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC increased its stake in shares of Autoliv by 74.4% during the fourth quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 314 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Autoliv by 122.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 370 shares of the auto parts company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares during the last quarter. Twin Tree Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Autoliv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Autoliv in the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.57% of the company’s stock.

Autoliv Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $91.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $94.47. The company has a market cap of $6.86 billion, a PE ratio of 10.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67.

Autoliv Company Profile

Autoliv, Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and supplies passive safety systems to the automotive industry in Europe, the Americas, China, Japan, and rest of Asia. It offers passive safety systems, including modules and components for frontal-impact airbag protection systems, side-impact airbag protection systems, seatbelts, steering wheels, and inflator technologies.