Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the five research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $134.60.

LAMR has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Lamar Advertising from $129.00 to $126.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Citigroup lifted their price target on Lamar Advertising from $121.76 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th.

Lamar Advertising Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:LAMR opened at $113.57 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $123.73 and its 200 day moving average is $127.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.48, a current ratio of 0.56 and a quick ratio of 0.56. Lamar Advertising has a 1 year low of $108.80 and a 1 year high of $139.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.17 and a beta of 1.53.

Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 20th. The real estate investment trust reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.74. The firm had revenue of $579.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $583.19 million. Lamar Advertising had a net margin of 16.40% and a return on equity of 30.20%. On average, research analysts predict that Lamar Advertising will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lamar Advertising Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.55 per share. This represents a $6.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.46%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from Lamar Advertising’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. Lamar Advertising’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 175.64%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lamar Advertising

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of Lamar Advertising in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lamar Advertising during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Lamar Advertising by 109.3% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 224 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Lamar Advertising by 106.7% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 277 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Lamar Advertising by 58.4% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 293 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 93.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lamar Advertising

Lamar Advertising Company operates as an outdoor advertising company in the United States and Canada. The company owns and operates billboards, logo signs, and transit advertising displays, as well as rents space for advertising on billboards, buses, shelters, benches, logo plates, and in airport terminals.