LKQ (LKQ) Stock Trades Up, Here Is Why

What Happened?

Shares of automotive parts company LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) jumped 4.8% in the afternoon session after Stephens & Co. initiated coverage on the stock with an Overweight rating and a price target of $39.00. This was the first time the investment firm covered LKQ. An "Overweight" rating generally means the analyst believes the stock will perform better than the overall market. The positive outlook appeared to spark investor interest. This was reflected in the options market, where traders acquired a significantly higher number of call options, which are bets that a stock's price will increase. The volume of these bullish bets jumped by 176% compared to the typical daily average.

Is now the time to buy LKQ? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

LKQ’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 5 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 19 days ago when the stock gained 3% on the news that comments from a key Federal Reserve official bolstered hopes for an interest rate cut. New York Federal Reserve President John Williams stated he sees “room for a further adjustment” in the near term, sparking a significant market rally. Following his remarks, the probability of the central bank cutting rates at its December meeting jumped from 39% to over 73%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. This positive sentiment provided relief to markets amid concerns over high valuations, particularly in AI-related stocks.

LKQ is down 18.2% since the beginning of the year, and at $29.64 per share, it is trading 32.7% below its 52-week high of $44.05 from March 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of LKQ’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $810.61.

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